Portman describe themselves as a 'middle England wizard metal band', which may not be quite true but is nevertheless a very different way to pigeonhole your band. Formerly known as Dutch Oven, the Peterborough-area based band have improved with every CD they have recorded and this three tracker is no different. While the mixing on this CD seems a little bit off (unless it's unmixed and/or meant to sound a little lo-fi), there's no doubt the band are getting towards the level which should get them noticed - and while their brand of piano-based pop-punk isn't the stuff that would get Harry Potter and his merry band of wizards quaking in their boots, it's every bit as good as most of their US college rock contemporaries.
SoCo/Ben Folds fans will lap Portman up. The driving 'Can't Stop The Signal' is far and away the best track the band have written, featuring a catchy chorus and some natty melodies. Having seen the band develop over the years you can tell this is a genuine attempt to evolve into their own sound, ditching the TBS-esque shouts that drifted through their last seven-track release. And while it would be wrong to suggest Portman are the finished article, the rate of progress - and the ability shown in the trio of songs freshly released - proves that with a bit of wizardy, 2007 could be the year that Portman cast a spell on us all.
