95

95. Woodstock - Portugal. The Man (2017)

Alternative

On the surface, Woodstock (2017) lacks a lot of the substance that made their earlier albums great, relying instead on trippy, whimsical neo-psychedelia-type vibes to transport you along what feels almost like an amusement park ride. The first half of the album are radio-ready hits, the best of which, “Feel it Still”, became a mega-hit, topping the Billboard Alternative and Adult Alternative charts and eventually winning a Grammy. They’re quality pop songs backed by a novel and distinct sound, which carries into the second half of the album.

On “Keep On”, for me, things get interesting. I think the song is about missing Michael Jackson. It’s packed with lines that aren’t even all that subtly referencing Jackson’s alleged crimes and eventual descent into disgrace. “I never listened, to tell the truth, I never knew, but nobody misses what you did quite like I do”. “I’m seein’ a pattern, fallin’ from a ladder…”. “Young, black and gifted… must be the shoes…”. Even a reference to a “Man in the mirror”!? No way that’s a coincidence. The next track, “So Young”, seems to be written from MJ’s perspective, expressing a brutal struggle of managing the acute type of mega-stardom he had to deal with. “Wake up, still in your makeup, you’ll make it home just fine without breaking down.” In this version of the story, “...(I’m) done going undercover. I just want to find a friend, I don’t need another lover”, implying innocent motives in seeking the company of young children. After that, there’s “Mr. Lonely”, which is clearly a portrait of a superstar feeling hopelessly isolated by their fame. The lines are just vague enough to keep from being obvious, but the whole album points to the blissfulness of youth that someone like Michael Jackson was so publicly deprived of.

Shrouded MJ defense or not, the songs are a lot of fun. The closing track might just be the coolest, infused with a healthy dose of French nonchalance. While I still feel that Evil Friends (2013) is a better album, there’s a ton to love about Woodstock.

*image; cover art for the album Woodstock by the artist Portugal. The Man