Continuous Portrait
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| Continuous Portrait | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 29, 2020 | |||
| Length | 37:25 | |||
| Label | Temporary Residence | |||
| Inventions chronology | ||||
| ||||
Continuous Portrait is the third studio album by Inventions, a collaborative project between Matthew Cooper and Mark T. Smith. It was released on May 29, 2020, under Temporary Residence Limited.[1] It received generally favorable reviews from critics.[2]
Inventions consists of Matthew Cooper, also known as Eluvium, and Mark T. Smith of Explosions in the Sky.[3] Continuous Portrait is the duo's third studio album, following Inventions (2014) and Maze of Woods (2015).[3] It is the duo's first release of music since the Blanket Waves EP (2015).[3]
Continuous Portrait was released digitally on May 29, 2020,[4] under Temporary Residence Limited.[1] The CD edition and the vinyl edition were released on July 10, 2020,[5] under the same label.[1]
Critical reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 80/100[2] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [6] |
| Beats Per Minute | 80%[7] |
| Paste | 8.5/10[8] |
| PopMatters | [9] |
| PopMatters | [10] |
According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Continuous Portrait received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 80 out of 100 from 5 critic scores.[2]
Paul Simpson of AllMusic stated, "There's a charming looseness to the album; while never abrasive, the samples sometimes clash with each other a bit, and it all has the feeling of a cut-and-paste collage, sounding far less refined than Eluvium or Explosions' dramatic, labored-over epics."[6] He described the album as "a poignant, playful collection of future memories."[6] Todd Dedman of Beats Per Minute commented that "The album flits between folk-tronica, neo-classical and ambient textures across its nine tracks, and feels like an enriching journey by the record's end."[7] Andrew Sacher of BrooklynVegan stated, "Continuous Portrait acts like ambient music, but there's a real energy to it."[11] He added, "It doesn't just fall into the background, it hooks you and keeps you in suspense, waiting to hear what unexpected turn this duo will take next."[11]
On June 30, 2020, PopMatters included Continuous Portrait on its list of "The 50 Best Albums of 2020 So Far".[12]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hints and Omens" | 5:37 |
| 2. | "Calico" | 3:57 |
| 3. | "Continuous Portrait" | 2:54 |
| 4. | "Outlook for the Future" | 3:30 |
| 5. | "Close to People" | 3:15 |
| 6. | "Spirit Refinement Exploder" | 5:14 |
| 7. | "The Warmer the Welcome" | 3:57 |
| 8. | "A Time in My Life" | 4:11 |
| 9. | "Saw You in a Movie" | 4:06 |
| Total length: | 37:25 | |
Notes
- "Calico" contains a sample from "Japanese Choir in the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi" by Spencer Hutchinson.[13]
- "Saw You in a Movie" contains a sample from "Japanese Choir in the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi" by Spencer Hutchinson.[13]
- "The Warmer the Welcome" contains a sample from "What Are They Doing in Heaven Today?" by Washington Phillips.[13]
