Chris Portka – The Album Everyone Wants
Chris Portka was originally going to release his latest effort, The Album Everyone Wants (TAEW), exclusively on vinyl. There’s some sort of irony about releasing an album hyped up as “the one that everyone desires” on such an intentional media like wax, but maybe that’s the point. Chris Portka does whatever the fuck he wants – evidenced by his previous effort, the noisy and experimental Trash Music (that we reviewed here), and further bolstered by the not-quite-180-degree turn taken on TAEW. Portka leans harder into the American songbook here on TAEW, never eschewing his noisy indie rocker tendencies, but instead, mashing them together with gentler folk rock backbones; sighing pedal steel guitars; and delightfully weird psychedelia.
While the vinyl of Trash Music ramped up feelings of nostalgia and anxiety, it has a different outcome when listening to the broader, “songwriter” appeal of an album like TAEW. Chris’ left-field shenanigans feel like the flourishes that make this album spicy, while the warm, analog, needle-on-wax listening method ramps up the fuzzy intimacy that you might remember from your parents’ vinyl collection. In fact, 7 of the 11 songs on TAEW are covers… So you wouldn’t be too far off from those vaguely familiar feelings that worm their way into your sub-conscious while you take it all in.
Portka starts the LP off with “She Looks So Good Tonight,” a Kurt Vile-esque meditation that’s peppered with plenty of guitar noise, droning tones, and just the right amount of Portka-esque noises to wet his personal whistle, while not distracting from the overall performance – see the whirring, theremin-like noises that pop up around the 2:22 mark. When one is listening to vinyl, these sort of sounds might trick you into thinking that your shitty, Crosley turntable is malfunctioning… Again. But those are the types of experiences you sign up for when you listen to a Portka masterpiece. You can hear this classic songwriting vibe come through on “Fun in the Summer” too – with its sleezy, breezy, Lou Reed-y vibes offset by carefree whistles, it’s hard not to harken back to simpler times. You can hear this Reed-y-ness elsewhere on the album too. Portka’s voice certainly adds to this comparison, but check out the meandering vibes on album closer “Molly,” too, for a super strong album cut.
Meanwhile, Portka flexes on unique takes on standards, like the oft-covered Dean Dillon/Linda Hargrove classic “Tennessee Whiskey” – here, he infuses krautrock (of all genres) with pedal steel guitar for a fresh cut of a song that never gets old. “The Observer,” although not a cover, parlays traditional American roots music into contemporary existential dread. In fact, if there’s one thing to take away from TAEW, it’s that Portka has and always will march to the beat of his own drum. Whether you’re there or not to share in the revelry is your choice.
Lastly, it’s not often I get to be “intentional” with my music listening, especially being an on-the-go music blogger that has an ever growing list of music to parse through and digest. So, carving out time for TAEW felt like a genuinely special occasion, and I wanted to highlight a few of my most poignant moments during my listening session. First and foremost, the vinyl I received came in a sharp, sparkly black – a perfect accompaniment to Portka’s black and purple layout that could sit comfortably on the shelf next to any iconic ’70s classic album. As far as listening goes, I wasn’t expecting the Radiohead-adjacent vibes of “Poor Moon” (which I am assuming is a Canned Heat cover) – once again, the juxtaposition of classic songwriting with Yorke-style clamor felt fresh and invigorating. Also, Portka’s take on Mayo Thompson’s “Poor Betty Baby” hit so much like The National that it left me yearning for more of that super tasty dark indie rock… Even if it is depressing, it’s mood music, and the warmth of the vinyl blending with Portka’s cold, monotone vocal left me feeling breathless.
The Album Everyone Wants is available now (September 24th, 2025). Check it out digitally on Bandcamp (embedded below), where you can also purchase the album on vinyl.
Categorised in: Album Reviews
This post was written by Nick Sessanna