By Julia Ristoska

Have you ever watched a horror film and knew something was about to happen as the background music gradually gets louder? You see the protagonist stop, and with wide eyes stare into space waiting for something to pop out from the blue. In a sense, you feel like they are almost waiting for the worst to happen, so they can release the anxiety and paranoia they hold inside their minds. When I first heard “Sour Times” by Portishead I immediately pictured myself as the protagonist in a horror film, or a even better term would be sci-fi horror. The floating ring of the synthesizer jumped out at unexpected times and continuously haunts the whole song.

“Sour Times” starts out with a heavy thump of the bass guitar in which mimics the sounds of footsteps or a pounding heart. However, the bright sound of the synthesizer that was swirling on top of the melancholic foundation created a whole different feel to the song. Somehow, It gives a vibrant burst of energy and complements the dark-like aura.

When the last deep bass drop ended to signal the start of vocals, I expected there would be screaming. In contrast, the lead singer, Beth Gibbons voice was soft and steady. Yet, she has a vocal range that allowed for effortless transitions from low to high notes. This was best captured when she sang the chorus. Her voice smoothly grew louder near the end of the emotional lyric “….‘Cause nobody loves me” and transitioned to a low whisper when she sang “…not like you do.” Her vocal technique is simple but creepily alluring to the ears of listeners, and makes you want to listen until the end. Interestingly enough the ending left me with a good cliffhanger. The synths cried with a “waah wahh wahhh” followed by a drum solo and the only thing needed was a “to be continued” sign