A glorious, noisy, melodic, celebratory release from the ever-inventive group.

Although the album isn't groundbreaking, it does contain several new wrinkles in sound for the group, and most of them work quite well.

Definitely a bit more hit-or-miss than some of his past work.

While the group has done a great job of incorporating even more digital tricks and unique sounds into the mix, they've somehow managed to create a slightly more sterile environment.

There are a few peaks, not much in the way of valleys, and although it's not the best work by Kozelek, it's still pretty damn good.

Easily the best work that the group has done.

[Ounsworth's] weird quirks do grow on you, especially because the music backing him is so solid most of the time.

Overall, a small step up for the group, but not quite the masterpiece that they might very well be capable of.

As a whole, The Body The Blood The Machine is a bit more inconsistent than Fuckin' A, but at the same time has some of the best songs in the group's discography and some of the better arrangements [as] well.

Not only has the group taken their sound and refined it even more, but even the ambient soundscapes and parts between the actual songs are more well constructed.

Over the course of 11 tracks, it rarely rocks out at all, but instead moves through different styles with a more assured hand.

Clever without being pretentious.

While it indeed works wonders in most places, it stumbles in a few, crossing over into an almost sickenly sweet radio-friendly territory that make me doubly wish for new Portishead material.

They take their rough charm and run with it, continuing the giddy momentum they hinted at on [their self-titled] EP.

Easily the crowning achievement of their short lifespan thus far.

Sung Tongs is 12 tracks and 52 minutes of the most bizarre and absolutely mind-bendingly infectious pop music that you'll hear this year.

Probably the biggest complaint could be that the group has tightened up their sound even more on this release, leaving behind even more of the roughshod qualities that made their earlier discs blister with such energy.

Midnite Vultues kind of sounds like an album Prince would have made if he were more interested in being a geek than carressing his own ego.

When they're on, though, they're on, and although this album doesn't quite reach the heights that their earlier At Dawn does, it's still a great disc from a young group who will be making even more noise in the future.

Sounding somewhat like a lot of groups but not exactly like anyone, this is an album you shouldn't miss.

[A] lovely debut album of hushed folk that may be one of the best things in this sort of genre that I've heard in some time.

It's pleasing, and sometimes outstanding, but it ultimately feels a bit too safe and soft.

It's one of those releases that takes awhile to seep in completely, and while there are a great deal of amazing songs, it doesn't move me quite as much as their last disc.

One of the most disturbing orchestral albums you'll hear.

It's one of those releases that reminds you that with all the experimenting and genre-blurring, there is still something simple and nice about an album that takes fairly base elements of rock and roll and creates a disc that's highly catchy.

In places, the group seems like they're being almost willfully difficult, and yet it often makes for darn good listening.

It's nice to hear him breaking free of the contraints that he's laid out for himself thus far.

There is just enough of a changeup in the sounds of the songs (from a variety of releases) that makes the disc worth having if you enjoy the group.