Porridge Radio - Clouds In The Sky They Will Always Be There For Me (Album Review)
Wednesday, 23 October 2024
Written by Tom Morgan
With a band name like Porridge Radio, you’d be forgiven for expecting a certain degree of fun musical whimsy. The Brighton band’s first couple of records delivered that, exuding colourful, if straightforward, indie energy with charming vigour, leading to them steadily becoming one of the UK touring circuit’s most cherished darlings.
The band’s fourth full length ‘Clouds In The Sky They Will Always Be There For Me’, though, takes a different tack. The tone is more stark, not exactly moodier, but certainly more introspective. This vibe is reflected in the album’s cover art, which is painted in black and white hues, strewn with shadows and arty ambiguity.
Broadly, this gear shift works. It’s not a drastic departure, but tracks such as the organ-led ballad Wednesday and the stripped back I Get Lost are emblematic of a more musically confident but emotionally complex new approach that the band take to with impressive élan.
The most impressive moment is the grand centrepiece In A Dream I’m A Painting. Starting off with an abstract sound collage before swelling to a crescendo that then gives way to quiet reflection, it’s a mini indie epic and an impressive feat of song construction.
Other efforts are less interesting. Lavender, Raspberries lacks a bit of spark and does little to stand out from the pack of similar indie acts. On the whole, though, this is another solid effort from Porridge Radio. Band leader Dana Margolin’s vivid lyrics and songwriting chops ensure that the quietly ambitious ‘Clouds In The Sky They Will Always Be There For Me’ will further cement her band’s place at the top of the UK indie pile.
Porridge Radio Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Thu November 07 2024 - DUBLIN Whelans
Mon November 18 2024 - NOTTINGHAM Rescue Rooms
Tue November 19 2024 - BRISTOL Marble Factory
Wed November 20 2024 - LEEDS Leeds Irish Centre
Fri November 22 2024 - GLASGOW Oran Mor
Sat November 23 2024 - NEWCASTLE Newcastle University Students Union
Mon November 25 2024 - MANCHESTER Gorilla
Tue November 26 2024 - LONDON Electric Brixton
Fri November 29 2024 - MARGATE Lido
Sat November 30 2024 - BRIGHTON Chalk
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