Review: Beth Gibbons @ The Orpheum 4/4
Photo Credit: Jim Dyson
Review by: Robin Sheng
Beth Gibbons performed at the Orpheum Theater in downtown Boston on April 4. Primarily known for her role as the lead vocalist of Portishead, an acclaimed trip-hop band from the 1990s, Gibbons released her first solo album, “Lives Outgrown” in 2024, 16 years after the last Portishead record. She is currently on tour in promotion of her debut album across North America.
The concert venue, The Orpheum, is a seated theater with no standing pit, which at first may seem like a rather unconventional choice. As soon as the concert began, however, the reason for this choice became clear. Gibbons’s music was thoroughly entrenched in layers of intricate atmospheric construction, paired with expressive and far-reaching vocals. A somber and engulfing tone was established throughout the performance, and only a large seated venue with sufficient breathing space for musical intricacies can let the audience fully grasp the performance’s grandiosity.
The performance’s strength in atmospheric construction can be especially seen in songs such as “Burden of Life,” which opens with pulsing drums that immediately set a tone of intrigue. The song’s minimalistic instrumentation during its verses serves as a brilliant juxtaposition with the meandering strings in the chorus, creating a picturesque and yet ominous atmosphere. Additionally, the performance features appropriate use of sound effects in the form of squealing sounds in the background that further contribute to the ominous quality of the performance.
The performance’s capabilities in atmospheric construction can be further seen in the louder and more manic “Rewind,” which starts with strong and eerie guitar strumming. Feedback noise from the electric guitar is maintained throughout the song, constantly evoking a sense of tension. The highlight of the song, however, is undoubtedly its use of stop-and-start breakdowns followed by explosive noise delivered by an ensemble of instruments, creating a uniquely powerful soundscape in conjunction with Gibbons’s passionate vocals.
Not every performance was marked as ominous or tense, however. Gibbons also excelled in the more straightforwardly beautiful “Floating On A Moment,” which features a lovely harmonica sequence during the chorus that creates an elevating feeling to the song. The song was further defined by its cohesive and resonant vocal melodies, which established an elegant quality to the performance. The main guitar riff seemed quite simplistic and basic at first, but once it becomes contextualized by the rest of the song, it becomes abundantly clear that it is entirely suitable for the song’s particular purposes.
Nevertheless, one potential reservation that one could hold about Gibbons’s performances pertains to the development and progression of her songwriting. While every performance was wholly successful at capturing a distinct atmosphere, a few of them were not particularly adept at further developing or modifying their constructed atmospheres. For example, the song “Oceans” comes off as slightly monotone due to its rather abrupt ending without any further progressions from its established main patterns.
The regular section of the concert ended with the calm and peaceful “Whispering Love”, a minimalistic song comprised primarily of intricate acoustic guitar plucking and occasional interjections of tempo-variating strings, creating a serene atmosphere suitable for a closer. Then, after several minutes of cheering from the vast majority of the audience, Gibbons returned with two more encore performances. The first one, “Roads,” was an old Portishead song from their debut album in 1994, “Dummy.” Although the original song’s electronic elements were much diminished in this performance, its incorporation of the violin in the higher registers and a unique bassline, in conjunction with Gibbons’s ever-solid vocals, still makes the song refreshing and just as enjoyable. The concert closed with the ominous and unusually frantic “Reaching Out,” which featured a fantastic vocal climax into a high note during the chorus. Gibbons’s bold choice to end on a tense and rather anxious performance was certainly effective, even if one may find it somewhat unusual, as the final performance is as statement-making as one can ask for, leaving a distinctly long-lasting impression on the audience.