“Chase the Tear” by Portishead

Portishead goes all krautrock-y on “Chase the Tear,” a new song that they’ve recorded for Amnesty International to help celebrate International Human Rights Day. You can purchase the track from 7digital (all of the proceeds will go to Amnesty International, who also retain the rights to the song).

If you listened to Third — and you really should have, because it was one of 2008’s best albums — then “Chase The Tear” shouldn’t be too much of a surprise, sonically. The band had dabbled with kraut-y rhythms and sounds on track like “The Rip” and “Machine Gun.” “Chase the Year” builds on that foundation a bit, albeit in a softer, less ominous manner — relatively speaking, that is. This is still Portishead we’re talking about.