ALBUM REVIEW: The New Routine – Port Noir

PORT NOIR have been around the block a few times now, having already gifted the world with their two previous LPs Puls and Any Way The Wind Blows in 2013 and 2016 respectively. Things feel a little different this time though, as they prepare to release their third full length The New Routine. Music with a pulse, it brings a sturdy amalgam of innovative rock infused with contemporary pop, hip-hop and R&B. Determined to remain impossible to pigeonhole, the Swedish trio have broadened their already expansive horizons and the payoff is a record teaming with intoxicating energy.

The title of the opening track Old Fashioned is quite the red herring, as it is anything but ordinary. At its core lies the skeleton of a classic rock song, but its flesh breathes life into the album from the offset. “We can’t stand to be old fashioned,” and “Shackles can’t hold us,” they preach throughout the chorus, as a wall of synth and new age groove penetrates vibrant guitar looping. Flawless is equally eccentric, developing with a certain QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE zest. This resemblance mainly stems from the riff formations. Groovy, hooky and ultimately very well written, they are the beating heart pumping oxygen through the record’s capillaries.

Tracks such as Blow and Champagne are intelligent in their build up play, which feels patient and systematic. Much is the trend throughout the album, where PORT NOIR seem to grow into songs, rather than steaming straight in and losing some of their dynamic. Through some of the more suppressed sections it feels like ’90s R&B with smooth electro and rhythmic drumming, before things ignite back into methodical heaviness and a soaring voice. Low Lights is one of the more openly electronic tracks on the album, and it’s moody synthetic melodies work perfectly contrasted against traditional rock guitar hooks and Love Anderson’s serene vocals. By far one of the album’s key selling points, his voice skims along the surface of solid instrumentation and adds a crucial third dimension.

13 is a RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE-esque powerhouse, a neck-snapping aural battering ram that ploughs deep into the record’s foundations and rips up any preconceptions expected of PORT NOIR. Never failing to return to those stoical choruses, it stands as evidence of what they can achieve as a song writing ensemble, a halcyon example of the flamboyant sound trip they embarked upon. And yet, Young Bloods flips the album on its head still more. Much like the following track Define Us, a hip-hop beat snakes a way through a wealth of crash cymbals and a wandering bass line.

Part-time pop song Down For Delight follows Drive, a boisterous track that lands a metallic sucker-punch before jumping back into a whirlwind of amicable electronica. Ever more diverse, PORT NOIR have given themselves plenty of breathing space with The New Routine. Although it feels wonderfully progressive at times, they have fundamentally taken a myriad of traditional sounds and reworked them in a way that feels fresh and exciting. What’s more, it feels unique as Out Of Line closes the LP, weaving amongst the diverse range of textures on offer before coming to a sudden stop. PORT NOIR have opened up a whole new world here, experimenting freely and effectuating their album with lavish potency.

Rating: 8/10

The New Routine is out now via InsideOut Music. 

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