Continuous Portrait is the third studio album by Inventions, a collaborative project between Matthew Cooper and Mark T. Smith. It was released on May 29, 2020, under Temporary Residence Limited.[1] It received generally favorable reviews from critics.[2]
Background
Inventions consists of Matthew Cooper, also known as Eluvium, and Mark T. Smith of Explosions in the Sky.[3]Continuous Portrait is the duo's third studio album, following Inventions (2014) and Maze of Woods (2015).[3] It is the duo's first release of music since the Blanket Waves EP (2015).[3]
Continuous Portrait was released digitally on May 29, 2020,[4] under Temporary Residence Limited.[1] The CD edition and the vinyl edition were released on July 10, 2020,[5] under the same label.[1]
According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Continuous Portrait received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 80 out of 100 from 5 critic scores.[2]
Paul Simpson of AllMusic stated, "There's a charming looseness to the album; while never abrasive, the samples sometimes clash with each other a bit, and it all has the feeling of a cut-and-paste collage, sounding far less refined than Eluvium or Explosions' dramatic, labored-over epics."[6] He described the album as "a poignant, playful collection of future memories."[6] Todd Dedman of Beats Per Minute commented that "The album flits between folk-tronica, neo-classical and ambient textures across its nine tracks, and feels like an enriching journey by the record's end."[7] Andrew Sacher of BrooklynVegan stated, "Continuous Portrait acts like ambient music, but there's a real energy to it."[11] He added, "It doesn't just fall into the background, it hooks you and keeps you in suspense, waiting to hear what unexpected turn this duo will take next."[11]
On June 30, 2020, PopMatters included Continuous Portrait on its list of "The 50 Best Albums of 2020 So Far".[12]
Track listing
Continuous Portrait track listing
No.
Title
Length
1.
"Hints and Omens"
5:37
2.
"Calico"
3:57
3.
"Continuous Portrait"
2:54
4.
"Outlook for the Future"
3:30
5.
"Close to People"
3:15
6.
"Spirit Refinement Exploder"
5:14
7.
"The Warmer the Welcome"
3:57
8.
"A Time in My Life"
4:11
9.
"Saw You in a Movie"
4:06
Total length:
37:25
Notes
"Calico" contains a sample from "Japanese Choir in the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi" by Spencer Hutchinson.[13]
"Saw You in a Movie" contains a sample from "Japanese Choir in the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi" by Spencer Hutchinson.[13]
