Portman have come a long way from their Dutch Oven days, a time when they wrote sub-par piano-based pop-punk that promised more than it delivered. With their Portman guise they’ve had slightly more success, although probably not as much as their recent improvements have deserved. ‘These songs were written in bedrooms and village halls’ is the band’s last release before calling it a day and, perhaps fittingly, contains some of their best work. It’s not perfect, but it’s everything you’ve come to expect from Portman, yet improved. The vocals are the best they’ve ever been, while the song structures have improved no end since the band’s early days. They’ve moved away from standard time signatures and power chords, instead focusing on individual instruments. Over the course of this EP, it certainly works. ‘Facts’ is a great little song, while ‘Sit Down, Calm Down’ is perhaps the most relaxed the band have ever been.
I can’t say this is the best EP I’ve ever heard and I can’t say it’s an essential listen, but Portman are honest and hardworking and have improved no end over the years. On that basis alone they are a lesson to the many bands who send in their demos and cross their fingers. Keep up the hard work, keep practicing and your rewards will eventually come.