The continuing impact of the Cocteau Twins model illustrated. Portal have been around for a bit—this is the duo's second full album—and Promise will provide just as much of a happy kick to the system of ethereal vocal/lush and detailed guitar parts junkies as the likes of Love Spirals Downwards and Siddal, for example. There's the same steady electronic drum hit pattern and aiming at electric rapture, moody album cover approach, wistful lyrics—it's not so much a ripoff of the Guthrie/Fraser/Raymonde team as it is yet another logical extension.
And it's pretty good, a better fix than Black Rebel Motorcycle Club is for Jesus and Mary Chain freaks. Scott Sinfield takes care of all the music and cranks the melancholy up to eleven, while Rachel Hughes moodily croons along, sometimes deep in the mix, sometimes sweetly up front, as with "Hope." The mournful synth/guitar melody of "An Open Sky" is as epic as it is a deep blue sigh, a good kissing cousin (and maybe more) to Slowdive's "Waves," "Ghost in the Sand" blurs and blurs and blurs again, and so forth. There's a fun twist on the formula with "Henna," taking a totally energetic synth-pop groove and laying down more guitar wash behind it, and a little more experimentation along those lines in future wouldn't hurt at all. But for now, this is an enjoyably derivative pleasure.
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