This came out in 1999 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Modern rock? Power-pop? Post-grunge? Alt-rock? Depending on which track you cue up, L.A. quartet Portable could easily fit into any one of these convenient pigeonholes. Which is precisely what’s wrong with their debut album.
Sure, their Nirvana-meets-Cheap-Trick tunes rock hard enough, the drums pound enough, the guitars buzz enough and singer Chance’s voice is pleasant enough. Problem is, none of it is original enough. Strip away all the tired cliches and recycled riffs and Portable display less individuality than a Stepford wife.
