I Can See No Reason for It to Fail
Portishead’s branding is a good reflection of their style of music. As one of the most underrated bands of the 199o’s, their following is small and largely made up of those who stumbled upon the band by word-of-mouth. Beth Gibbon’s anachronistic approach to vocals over irreverent trip-hop beats makes their sound unique. There is no mistaking a Portishead track for anything other than what it is. The distinct sound of the band, with its retro flair, is represented well by their album art.
The debut album cover art as produced by Marc Bessant, cues the potential listener that this is no ordinary band. Marc Bessant is entirely responsible for the branding of Portishead, and his work illustrates his appreciation for the band's music and their singular art. There is no stock used and the proportions/ratios present in the cover art highly reflect the distorted music ready to great the listener's ears. The black and white style, along with the retro dress of the figure in the far back right, is a cue to the nature of the vocals.
In this example, a black and white photograph used along with a minimalistic font presentation, represents the distorted nature of the album, itself. The music on Dummy is far from a smooth ride but is one that rather musically expands and contracts upon themes that could never be considered basic. The blurry photograph and distorted imagery brings home one of the motifs of the album, itself.
The use of a "P" overlaying the number "Three" provides a symbolic representation of the title of Portishead's third album, "The Third." Once again, we see what could be a boring, thick, Portishead "P" but with the overlay of a faded 3, the album cover, with its murky green gives off the subtle cool tones of the music within.
The art of Portishead, their branding, their image in Marc Bessant's clever hands, has always served as a well employed tool to advertise for the band. Fans of the band immediately recognize his signature work, and singular style, in a way that has made their image just as unmistakeable as their sound.
All art by Marc Bessant: www.marcbessant.com