Continuous Portrait | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | May 29, 2020 | |||
Length | 37:25 | |||
Label | Temporary Residence | |||
Inventions chronology | ||||
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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]
Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 80/100 [2] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Beats Per Minute | 80% [7] |
Paste | 8.5/10 [8] |
PopMatters | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
PopMatters | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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]
No. | Title | Length |
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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
Credits adapted from liner notes. [13]