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Jun 01, 2022 Web Exclusive By Matt the Raven

If you like your blendered post punk with the same gut-wrenching bite as a Bright Eyes tune mixed with the candor and theatrics of Amanda Palmer, you will like this third album from the UK’s Porridge Radio.

Musically, the band have traded in the serrated guitar abrasions found throughout 2020’s Every Bad for a more understated, yet smoldering concoction of indie and rock. Lyrically, and spiritually, however, singer Dana Margolin wears her heart on her sleeve as she sings with her usual passion and fortitude. Exploring a multitude of themes with sometimes clever, sometimes cloying—repeating “I don’t want to be loved” 17 times twice and then again 22 times in a four-minute song is both excessive and cloying—but mostly compelling lyrics. Sometimes singing about the fears, joys, and general malaise we’ve all been forced to visit during the pandemic lockdowns, Margolin unleashes her feelings with a pent-up passion and an occasional sarcastic playfulness that entertains while also being intense.

Fans of the band will instantly take to “Trying” and “The Rip,” as they have the most in common with past efforts with catchy guitar rhythms and bouncy tempos. But first single and opening track “Back to the Radio,” along with “U Can Be Happy If U Want To” and “Birthday Party.” are fresh takes on their established sound that cultivate tension through slowly increasing tempos and keyboard infused melodies. But it’s tracks such as “Rotten,” “Jealousy,” “I Hope She’s Okay 2,” and the closing title track that hit a groove with a precise mix of the bewitching old sound and the dark-hued charm that graces this latest release.

Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder To The Sky certainly isn’t the most groundbreaking record musically but Porridge Radio is certainly innovative in approach and original in delivery and have made an ambitious and compelling record that demands attention, but at times is not an easy listen. (www.porridgeradio.com)

Author rating: 6.5/10