Chris Portka’s “The Album Everyone Wants” feels like a love letter to music itself — a record that bends time, genre, and expectation while somehow staying grounded in the dust and gold of the American songbook. Recorded between New York City’s iconic Sear Sound and Oakland’s Brothers (Chinese) Recording, this 11-track collection is Portka’s most collaborative and adventurous work to date, a full-band affair that stitches together four original compositions with seven reimagined covers from artists as wide-ranging as Syd Barrett, Skip Spence, and George Jones. The result is a project that feels both intimate and expansive, steeped in indie rock noise and pedal steel twang, where sincerity and surrealism coexist in perfect harmony.
From the first listen, what stands out most is the way Portka manages to blur the boundaries between old and new, reverence and reinvention. Each track, whether penned by him or borrowed from someone else, carries his unmistakable sonic fingerprint — a calm-steady-beautiful-noise that quietly expands into something cinematic. With co-production and mixing by indie veteran Jasper Leach, known for his work with Burner Herzog, Brasil, and The Symbolick Jews, the album captures a warmth and texture that modern recordings often miss. It’s alive in the way vintage records used to be: the hiss between takes, the feeling that you’re eavesdropping on something genuine and a little unpolished, like catching lightning in a small studio room.
“Fun in the Summer,” a track that lives up to its title while sounding like Lou Reed gone West Coast. It’s sunburned psychedelia with a hint of bittersweet nostalgia — shimmering guitars, steady drums, and a melody that drifts like heat off pavement. You can practically feel the San Francisco air as the song unravels, hazy and free-spirited but anchored by a pulsing groove. It sets the tone for what’s to come: a sound both familiar and left of reality, where comfort meets curiosity.
One of the standout originals, “She Looks So Good Tonight,” takes Portka’s knack for emotional subtlety to soaring heights. It’s dreamy and windswept, a love song drenched in memory and melancholy. There’s something cinematic in its pacing — you can almost picture headlights on a coastal road, a love story playing out in the space between verses. Like Nick Drake with everything turned up to 11, it balances delicate vocal phrasing with layers of sound that feel ethereal without losing their human touch.
The covers, meanwhile, are where Portka’s inventiveness shines brightest. His take on “Tennessee Whiskey” reimagines the Dean Dillon/Linda Hargrove classic as a groovy, krautrock-infused odyssey, laced with pedal steel and motorik rhythm. It’s bold but never ironic — a testament to his ability to treat the past with both respect and reinvention. “The Observer” dives into American roots rock from a different angle, exploring existential territory reminiscent of Jackson Browne’s The Pretender or The Silver Jews’ Inside the Golden Days of Missing You. It’s reflective, timeless, and a little bit haunted, like a radio transmission from somewhere between now and forever.
Part of what makes “The Album Everyone Wants” so compelling is its community of collaborators. Alongside Portka and Jasper Leach are members of the Al Harper Band — Al Harper and Omar Negrete — joined by Mike “Bonecrusher” Vattuone on drums, Beardwail (Tom Meagher) delivering wild, expressive guitar solos, Alison Niedbalski providing tender backup vocals, and Kyle Carlson weaving in pedal steel melodies that cut right to the heart. Together they create a sound that feels expansive but never crowded, like an all-night jam session that somehow turned into something eternal.
The album’s production feels as intentional as its performances. Every track has space to breathe, each instrument earning its moment without overstepping. The mastering by JJ Golden — whose credits include Calexico, Vetiver, and Thee Oh Sees — brings it all together with the polish of someone who understands both fidelity and feeling. You hear every breath, every guitar hum, every small imperfection that makes the whole thing human.
For Portka, who currently performs monthly at Vintage Elmwood Wine Bar in Berkeley, CA, and plans select record store and venue appearances, “The Album Everyone Wants” is not just a musical release but a statement of artistry. It celebrates collaboration, musical history, and the blurry line between tribute and transformation. There’s an underlying sense that this album isn’t chasing trends or streaming algorithms — it’s existing entirely on its own wavelength, a work made for listeners who crave honesty and texture in their music.
The vinyl release, available through an underground independent launch at Seek Collective, feels like the perfect format for an album of this nature. The tactile crackle of a needle meeting wax mirrors the organic unpredictability of Portka’s sound. This isn’t just “The Album Everyone Wants” in title — it’s the one you didn’t know you were missing until you heard it. A record that feels timeless, handmade, and slightly out of step with reality, in all the best ways. It’s a reminder that great music doesn’t have to shout to be heard; sometimes, it just hums quietly in your soul until you realize it’s been there all along.
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