Despite its release in 1997, Portishead’s self-titled has remained one of the most demonstrative of the trip-hop genre, characterized by minimalist, crisp drums with a prominent sample leading the melody. Though instead of flirting with the smoky quality of the music, Portishead succeeds at becoming the sound itself. The Bristol-based band’s debut album, Dummy highlighted the potential for trip-hop as a genre fusion between hip-hop — their self-titled work doubles down and takes this aesthetic even further. The guitarist, Adrian Utley, described the band as obsessive when it comes to perfecting their image of sound in their 1998 documentary, Welcome to Portishead: “For us… it’s a whole picture from beginning to the end. It’s gotta be right. Every angle is covered. It’s complete, nothing is missing.” Down to its last record scratch and dusky drum, Portishead is a textured exploration of vulnerability in all its layers. Out of their three albums, Portishead will always stand as a flex of the band’s ability to create a cohesive image with everything they’ve got.