Melanie Martinez's third album is bit of a long time coming, and a welcome evolution of her sound. Admittedly, I'm not too familiar with her existing discography, having only listened to the bigger hits of Cry Baby and missing K-12 almost entirely, but I caught PORTALS right as it dropped and let it run its time.
PORTALS continues to advocate her unorthodox art pop with a dark twinge, one that is far removed from the urban flares of previous albums, instead going for a more alien-like and future-gothic aesthetic. The soundscapes also steer away from the older sound a bit, exchanging some of the poppier textures for rock ones, albeit dulled down. Again, her vocals are a strong focal point for the album, both as a lyricist and vocalist. A lot of the highlights on this record boil down to great vocal performances, vocal melodies and tasteful cadences.
When it comes to the aesthetic, I think she nails it perfectly. The dark, serene atmosphere of the album manages to capture the essence of this alien nature that she's embodying. There's also many moments that help to sell the idea, whether it's the last moments of TUNNEL VISION, the creepy sound effects littered throughout SPIDER WEB, the ominous ambience at the end of BATTLE OF THE LARYNX or the bone crunches and distorted laughs on THE CONTORTIONIST. Not to mention, her vocal range lets her portray a very inhuman persona, one that borders uncanny with the help of some tight production.
As far as songs go, it might be hard to not be overshadowed by the critically acclaimed Cry Baby, but it's not impossible. And though some gimmicks from that era don't hit as well the second time round, like spelling words on NYMPHOLOGY, there are some solid cuts and great choruses on this tracklist. TUNNEL VISION has some fun verses, SPIDER WEB has a fun and bouncy chorus, BATTLE OF THE LARYNX has such a clean yet hypnotizing chorus, the creepy sound design on THE CONTORTIONIST coupled with eery vocal work makes for a wild experience, and EVIL and WOMB have some of the most solid choruses on the whole record.
PORTALS is definitely a fresh experience, especially in this current landscape of pop music, and the alternative influences are more than appreciated. Any pop record that catches my eye and can keep my attention in this day and age is already worth commending, but PORTALS is one that impressed me quite a bit. I'll say though, I've already found myself going back to it a lot less, and it does have its fair share of misses, including all the deluxe additions. Still better than most pop records, though. No complaints, and honestly, a pretty fun record to remember.
Rating: 7/10
3. TUNNEL VISION