In Brief

By Lorraine Ali

Feb. 12, 1995 12 AM PT

Portishead, “Dummy,” Go Discs/London (***1/2 ). This duo arrives as one of England’s most innovative bands. Blending the sci-fi chill of electronic ambient music with Eastern European melody and Beth Gibbon’s poignant vocals, Portishead invites you into a new world of sonic esoterica. “Dummy” is lush and rich, yet delicate and haunting.

New albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).

More to Read

Music

Lorraine Ali

Lorraine Ali is news and culture critic of the Los Angeles Times. Previously, she was television critic for The Times covering media, breaking news and the onslaught of content across streaming, cable and network TV. Ali is an award-winning journalist and Los Angeles native who has written in publications ranging from the New York Times to Rolling Stone and GQ. She was formerly senior writer for The Times’ Calendar section where she covered entertainment, culture, and American Arab and Muslim issues. Ali started at The Times in 2011 as music editor after leaving her post as a senior writer and music critic at Newsweek Magazine.

In Brief

More to Read

More From the Los Angeles Times