Porridge Radio made its debut on this blog with 'Every Bad' in 2020 followed by Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder To The Sky in 2022. Before 2020 the band released several albums that passed me by. With it latest album the band can compete with 'Every Bad', my introduction to Porridge Radio that sort of swept me of my feet. A first impression can only seldom be surpassed. A relationship with a band can deepen and that is where Clouds In The Sky They Will Always Be There For Me ('Clouds') comes in.
In 2024 Dana Margolin (guitar, vocals), Georgie Stott (keyboards, backing vocals), Sam Yardley (drums, keyboards) are joined by new bass player Dan Hutchins after Maddie Ryall left the band in 2023. The voice and songwriter remains Margolin. It is her emotions and deeply felt inner feelings, frustrations and anger that the band and producer Dom Monks have to support respectively capture. Well, after listening to Clouds multiple times, I can only state mission accomplished.
Let me start with pointing to the song 'Pieces Of Heaven'. The song just goes on and on with a very elementary chord progression and vocal melody. Yet, whether despite or because of the monotony, the song becomes fully mesmerising. This is a dreamstate, daydream, spriritual healing, whatever you would like to call it, in one. A 2024 'Candy Says', that will do as well. Dana Margolin keeps her voice at one level, to share her tale with us, as a tale it is and not a multiple repeat of the same line. The music is sober and yet so effective. 'Born Confused' the opening song of 'Every Bad' once swept me off my feet, 'Pieces Of Heaven' sweeps my brain in a way The Rolling Stones did one year ago with 'Sweet Sounds Of Heaven'. What's in a title? No, it's the music, stupid.
To compensate Porridge Radio closes the album off full blast and repeating the line "Sick of the blues, I'm in love with my life again", multiple times. But then notice the dynamics and that trumpet joining for the, unexpectedly short, outro. The song has an important message, in the end the only person who can make you feel happy is yourself. With a little help from a partner and friends, I add from personal experience, but in essence, yes.
Dana Margolin's voice remains something of a mystery. Yes, she's capable of singing in a traditional sense, but quite often she sounds as if she's on the point of breaking down, having a fit of out of control anger, or about to cry in utter despair. At times everything together even. This makes that her voice is an expression of inner most feelings and speaks in such a direct way that I can imagine many people can't stand to listen to it from a fear of a too direct confrontation with the inner demons of the singer. Of course, it could be her voice just sounds this way, but that I doubt. Just listen to how for example 'God Of Everything Else' and 'Sleeptalker' start; and then evolve.
Clouds is an important album and one of the best released in 2024. Where my reception of 'Waterslide ...' was a bit mixed, this one can be called a dream of an album by Porridge Radio. The band has found a balance that sounds extremely attractive and will make me come back to Clouds again and again.
Wout de Natris - van der Borght
You can listen to and order Clouds In The Sky They Will Always Be There For Me here:
https://porridgeradio.bandcamp.com/album/clouds-in-the-sky-they-will-always-be-there-for-me
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