Waiter: "You Vultures!"
is an album decidedly of its time. Its pretentious title, punctuated as if ripped from a screenplay, should give most listeners an idea of what to expect. The album sees
Portugal. The Man
suffering or benefiting from an identity crisis. They seem unable to determine if they want to be a fractured
art rock
ensemble a la
Blonde Redhead
and
Shudder to Think
, a dance-oriented
electro
-indie act like
Tahiti 80
Phoenix
, or a progressive-minded mood merchant like
the Notwist
. Along the way, piano
ballads
and screaming rants intersect, as the band rocks and stumbles like an uneasy mix of the aforementioned bands, crafting frequently catchy songs.
John Baldwin Gourley
offers mostly pleasant 1970s dance vocals. When
stick to mellow
post-rock
, it's somewhat smooth sailing, but they tend to take themselves too seriously. ~ Tim DiGravina