Review: Portugal. The Man — SHISH

Portugal. The Man
SHISH
KNIK Records / Thirty Tigers
Street: 11.07.2025
Portugal. The Man = Nine Inch Nails + Pink Floyd

On their tenth album, Portugal. The Man strip back the polish and rediscover the grit, weirdness and heart that have made them one of indie rock’s most enduring shapeshifters. It must be said that following up a Grammy-winning record that brought them worldwide attention is no small task. How do you move forward after releasing Woodstock, an album that gave the world “Feel It Still” and turned the Alaska-based band into a global phenomenon?

If any band can pivot with confidence, it is Portugal. The Man. SHISH, released November 7, via KNIK Records in partnership with Thirty Tigers, is their tenth studio album. It plays as both a reckoning and a renewal. Clocking in at just under 40 minutes, it is lean, loud and full of character. Gone are the days of the festival-ready polish of Woodstock. In its place is a restless energy that feels like rediscovery.

The band leans into its contradictions, as the album moves through garage rock, grungy breakdowns and dreamlike textures. “Mush” erupts with chaotic immediacy, channeling the intensity of American Ghetto, while “Tanana” stretches out with lush harmonies reminiscent of In the Mountain in the Cloud. The sound is not perfect, and that is the point. These songs feel lived-in and human — the kind that could spill off a stage in the best possible way.

A few tracks stand out. “Denali” caught my attention immediately. It took me back to a 2014 road trip up the Pacific Coast Highway with my best friend, just driving, listening to music, and talking about everything and nothing. “Tanana” slows the pace for a moment of reflection, giving space to breathe between the louder, more chaotic tracks. “Angoon” hits harder, both musically and thematically, weaving social and political ideas into the mix without losing momentum. The title track, “Shish,” closes the album with a sense of calm and focus, tying together the textures and moods that run throughout.

Alaska anchors the album in more ways than one. Every track takes its name from a location in the band’s home state and the spirit of place runs deep. Vast, cold, yet full of life, the album is an undercurrent of nostalgia and survival, as though Portugal. The Man are tracing the terrain that built them. Lyrically, SHISH touches on identity, community and persistence. It does not dwell in memory; it walks through it.

What is remarkable is the looseness. There is no obvious single and no clear attempt to replicate the success of Woodstock. That is what makes SHISH work. It is an album built on instinct, trusting that rawness can still resonate. It is weird, sometimes messy and entirely sincere.

Portugal. The Man have always balanced bold experimentation with music that stays approachable and engaging. SHISH balances those extremes better than anything they have done in years. It does not chase a sound; it circles back to a feeling. After nearly two decades, the band sounds not only reborn, but reconnected to their roots, their risks and the strange, beautiful noise that has always defined them. —Dallin Robinson

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