For
Portugal. The Man's sixth release in only four years,
The Satanic Satanist, the band tones down the progressive leanings demonstrated on
Church Mouth, and instead, goes for a straight forward, pop approach. With no song extending much longer than four minutes, John Gourley's bright falsetto matches up with breezy harmonies in a
Band of Horses/
My Morning Jacket way while the synthesized instrumentation takes a page from
MGMT. The slick electro direction is a pleasant change, although it may be a little disconcerting to fans who appreciate the more indulgent side of PTM. For
The Satanic Satanist, they walk away from the playgrounds of their past (which included emo, art-folk, and indie rock) and try their hand at chamber pop by filtering their music through a reverby wash, embracing electronica, and elaborately layering stacks of tracks. Reputed producer
Paul Q. Kolderie (
Radiohead,
Belly,
Lemonheads) gives the sound a crystal sparkle, which, paired with the mellow vibe of the album, makes
The Satanic Satanist one of the groups' most accessible and easily digestible to date. ~ Jason Lymangrover