Living fields

"It will work, I believe, for fans of Portico Quartet's previous output. There's enough here for this to be recognisably Portico. The focus has merely shifted from mind-altering jazz to highly confident and consistent electronica. This is a loud, confident album, best enjoyed at high volume. So much to delve into, so much to discover. The quartet is dead. Long live Portico".

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"Gone is the distinct sound of the exotic hang drum as drum machines and synthesizers now take its place, plus there is more indie song structure in the new group's music with featured guests like Jono McCleery, Jamie Woon, and Alt-J's Joe Newman offering support (...) Even with all the pop genres above, Portico still holds appeal for ambient music fans and those who embrace the fringe, along with Portico Quartet regulars who might find this trio's temperament a bit different, but the musical textures will be familiar".

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"Portico dropped the "Quartet" and stopped playing jazz. The newly reformed trio is experimenting in electronic and downtempo, placing synths where saxophones once were. All bands that want to survive must change in some way, replacing outdated ideas to stay relevant, but Living Fields is too toothless to signal an evolution. No, Portico's change in the last few years is a dismantling, removing so much of the soul that once made them vital".

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