Hidden gems from Matt Jones’ record collection: "In this column, I want to shine a light on the essential hidden gems in my record collection. Albums that might not always get the spotlight, but have stayed close to me over years of listening."

When most people talk about Portishead, they're talking about Dummy. And fair enough. It's one of the defining albums of the 1990s, a smoky, cinematic masterpiece that helped invent trip-hop and launched Beth Gibbons' haunted voice into music mythology.

But among longtime fans, there is a quiet consensus: Third is the real masterpiece. Released eleven years after their self-titled second album, Portishead's Third wasn't a nostalgic return to the sound that made them famous. In fact, it almost seemed determined to alienate anyone expecting another Dummy. Gone are the dusty hip-hop beats, jazz samples and noir lounge atmosphere. In their place is something far stranger: a record full of analogue synths, motorik rhythms, industrial noise, folk influences, krautrock experimentation and moments of genuine emotional unease.

It's the sound of a band refusing to become their own tribute act.

Why is Portishead's Third a hidden gem?

Part of Third's hidden-gem status comes from timing. By 2008, Portishead had been absent for over a decade. Music had moved on. Indie rock was dominant, electronic music was evolving in different directions, and younger listeners often knew Portishead only as a name from their parents' CD collection.

The album arrived with critical acclaim but never achieved the cultural footprint of Dummy. It wasn't easy listening. It demanded patience.

And that's precisely why it has aged so well.

Unlike many albums that chase a moment, Third exists completely outside of time. It still sounds futuristic, unsettling and impossible to categorise nearly two decades later.

‘Silence’ opens the album with a discordant chant that slowly morphs into a relentless mechanical groove. It's one of the boldest opening tracks of the century, immediately signalling that this isn't a nostalgia exercise.

‘Hunter’ feels like Portishead rebuilding themselves from spare parts. The rhythm lurches forward while Gibbons sounds vulnerable and defiant at the same time.

Then comes ‘The Rip’, arguably the emotional centrepiece of the album. It begins as a delicate folk song before unexpectedly transforming into a pulsing electronic masterpiece. Few tracks capture the band's willingness to embrace risk quite like this one. It's beautiful, surprising and deeply moving.

‘Plastic’ and ‘We Carry On’ bring a cold, industrial intensity that feels closer to post-punk and krautrock than anything traditionally associated with trip-hop.

The album's most famous track, ‘Machine Gun’, remains astonishing. Its brutal drum-machine pattern sounds like heavy machinery operating in an abandoned factory while Gibbons delivers one of the most emotionally devastating performances of her career. It is uncomfortable, hypnotic and unforgettable.

Later, ‘Small’ and ‘Magic Doors’ offer moments of fragile humanity amid the electronic tension, while ‘Threads’ closes the album with a slow-burning sense of collapse and finality that lingers long after the needle reaches the runout groove.

Much of Portishead's reputation rests on Beth Gibbons' voice, and Third may contain her most remarkable work.

On Dummy, she often sounded mysterious.

On Third, she sounds exposed.

Every crack, tremble and strained note feels intentional. Rather than hiding inside atmospheric production, her voice stands at the centre of the chaos. It's one of the most emotionally authentic vocal performances in modern music.

Third feels particularly suited to vinyl. The album rewards uninterrupted listening, allowing its tension, dynamics and textures to unfold naturally. The sequencing is impeccable, moving between beauty and anxiety with cinematic precision.

What initially feels cold gradually becomes deeply human.

By the end of the record, you're left with the sensation that you've experienced something rather than simply listened to it.

It's darker, stranger, more adventurous and far less concerned with being liked. Instead of refining the formula that made them famous, Portishead dismantled it and built something entirely new.

For a band that could have comfortably toured their legacy, Third was an act of artistic courage.

And that's why it's a hidden gem. Not because nobody knows it, but because many listeners never stay with it long enough to realise they're hearing Portishead at their absolute peak.

Those that do will be duly rewarded, as in the eyes of this reviewer, it's their masterpiece.

Happy spinning till next time!!

Stream the whole album