Album #61: Porridge Radio – Every Bad

• Released: 2020
• Origin: Brighton, England
• Label: Secretly Canadian
• Best Track: Give/Take

Right, I’ve fallen way behind on these, and gambling on future self-isolation and the free time that comes with it is no strategy, so here’s a quick review of an album that really deserves a bit more detail than I’m giving it.

It’s the second album from Brighton indie-rockers Porridge Radio. It’s certainly a grower. I didn’t care for it much at all on first listen and thought it sounded like a tribute to PJ Harvey. I’ve given it more time since and developed a lot more appreciation for it, but I still wouldn’t say any more than that I quite like it.

I’m not sure what’s missing – Dana Margolin’s voice is raw and passionate and her lyrics are intriguing. Perhaps she could do with a bit more help vocally from the rest of the band, as it does have the sound of a solo project at times.

Still, Every Bad is a well-crafted and oddly different album. As usual I like it best when it goes a bit post-punky, hence ‘Give/Take’ followed by ‘Lilac’ being the zenith of the album for me.