Alt-rock favorites Portugal. The Man returns today with a new single, the slow and spectral “V.I.S.” Over the past decade, Portugal. The Man has established themselves as one of rock’s most prized possessions and a live phenomenon, with over 1,600 shows under their belt and a storied reputation as festival favorites. Now, the Portland-based band, by way of Alaska, is back with “V.I.S.,” a detached scroll through buried heartbreak that erupts into a monster chorus.
Drifting through childhood fears and whispered doubt, John Gourley’s vocals — coolly detached yet edged with aching vulnerability — float above ghostly harmonies that recall Barbara Lewis and The Flamingos. A cosmic alt-rock dirge, a delicious nightmare — haunted and hypnotic, balancing dissonance with melody and sadness with scale.
“I wrote this song after we finished our album ‘Chris Black Changed My Life,’” shares Gourley. “Kyle (O’Quinn) and I were hanging at Sonic Ranch with Asa Taccone and our engineer Kennie Takahashi. We decided to write and record a song in one day, and it was “V.I.S.”
Photo Credit: Maclay Heriot
TheWaster.com | Listen Up
4.26.2025
