Reviews

All of {$Portishead}'s singles have done a good job of offering reformed versions of their album tracks (the {&"Glory Box"} single is particularly good with this) -- {^Sour Times} includes two new versions of {$Dummy}'s {&"Numb,"} and an odd, almost grungy rock version of {&"Sour Times"} itself. More interesting, however, are the 11-minute {&"A Tribute to Monk and Canatella"} (a minimal, jazz-oriented composition focusing on Rhodes organ) and best of all, the theme from {&"To Kill a Dead Man,"} a semi-fictional film "scored" by the group. The theme takes {$Portishead}'s soundtrack tendencies to an extreme, resulting in a gorgeous sweep of noir- and spy-movie drama that stands as the group's best compositional work. ~ Nitsuh Abebe, All Music Guide