Continuous Portrait

Continuous Portrait
Studio album by
Inventions
ReleasedMay 29, 2020 (2020-05-29)
Length37:25
LabelTemporary Residence
Inventions chronology
Blanket Waves
(2015)		 Continuous Portrait
(2020)

Continuous Portrait is the third studio album by Inventions, a collaborative project between Matthew Cooper and Mark T. Smith. It was released on May 29, 2020, under Temporary Residence Limited. It received generally favorable reviews from critics.

Background

Inventions consists of Matthew Cooper, also known as Eluvium, and Mark T. Smith of Explosions in the Sky. Continuous Portrait is the duo's third studio album, following Inventions (2014) and Maze of Woods (2015). It is the duo's first release of music since the Blanket Waves EP (2015).

Continuous Portrait was released digitally on May 29, 2020, under Temporary Residence Limited. The CD edition and the vinyl edition were released on July 10, 2020, under the same label.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic80/100
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarHalf star
Beats Per Minute80%
Paste8.5/10
PopMattersStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStar
PopMattersStarStarStarStarStarStarStar

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Continuous Portrait received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 80 out of 100 from 5 critic scores.

Paul Simpson of AllMusic stated, "There's a charming looseness to the album; while never abrasive, the samples sometimes clash with each other a bit, and it all has the feeling of a cut-and-paste collage, sounding far less refined than Eluvium or Explosions' dramatic, labored-over epics." He described the album as "a poignant, playful collection of future memories." Todd Dedman of Beats Per Minute commented that "The album flits between folk-tronica, neo-classical and ambient textures across its nine tracks, and feels like an enriching journey by the record's end." Andrew Sacher of BrooklynVegan stated, "Continuous Portrait acts like ambient music, but there's a real energy to it." He added, "It doesn't just fall into the background, it hooks you and keeps you in suspense, waiting to hear what unexpected turn this duo will take next."

On June 30, 2020, PopMatters included Continuous Portrait on its list of "The 50 Best Albums of 2020 So Far".

Track listing

Continuous Portrait track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Hints and Omens"5:37
2."Calico"3:57
3."Continuous Portrait"2:54
4."Outlook for the Future"3:30
5."Close to People"3:15
6."Spirit Refinement Exploder"5:14
7."The Warmer the Welcome"3:57
8."A Time in My Life"4:11
9."Saw You in a Movie"4:06
Total length:37:25

Notes

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Bloom, Madison (March 30, 2020). "Inventions Announce New Album, Share New Song: Listen". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on September 19, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 "Continuous Portrait by Inventions". Metacritic. Archived from the original on February 27, 2024. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 Thomas, Fred. "Inventions". AllMusic. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Continuous Portrait | Inventions". Bandcamp. Archived from the original on November 3, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
  5. ↑ "Inventions – Continuous Portrait". Temporary Residence Limited. Archived from the original on April 8, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
  6. 1 2 3 Simpson, Paul. "Continuous Portrait - Inventions". AllMusic. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  7. 1 2 Dedman, Todd (June 3, 2020). "Album Review: Inventions – Continuous Portrait". Beats Per Minute. Archived from the original on October 27, 2020. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  8. ↑ Schonfeld, Zach (June 3, 2020). "Inventions' Continuous Portrait Is One of the Best Experimental Albums of 2020 So Far". Paste. Archived from the original on July 19, 2020. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  9. ↑ Ingalls, Chris (May 29, 2020). "Inventions Conjure Mystery and Hope with the Intensely Creative 'Continuous Portrait'". PopMatters. Archived from the original on October 30, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
  10. ↑ Vellucci, Justin (June 4, 2020). "Inventions' 'Continuous Portrait' Blurs the Grandiose and the Intimate". PopMatters. Archived from the original on October 30, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
  11. 1 2 Sacher, Andrew (May 29, 2020). "Notable Releases of the Week (5/29)". BrooklynVegan. Archived from the original on October 16, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
  12. ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2020 So Far". PopMatters. June 30, 2020. Archived from the original on November 20, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Inventions (2020). Continuous Portrait (CD booklet). Temporary Residence Limited.