Porridge Radio - The Machine Starts To Sing EP (Album Review)
Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Written by Jack Press
‘The Machine Starts To Sing’ is a fitting farewell for Porridge Radio: a four-song EP that distills their sound while also hinting at what could have come next creatively for the quartet had they not decided to call it quits.
Recorded during sessions for last year’s ‘Clouds in the Sky They Will Always Be There for Me’ and originally earmarked for that album, these cuts neatly represent the spirit of experimentation that’s defined their decade-long career.
The title track is a six minute fever dream of detachment and chaotic catharsis. Opening with Dan Hutchins’ mournful bass and Dana Margolin’s monotone delivery, it drones like a malfunctioning android, repeating declarations of paranoia-soaked devotion, before swelling into a cacophony.
Its static-laced vocals and jazz-like improvisation eventually collapses back into its hypnotic refrain — it’s bold and challenging while teetering on the edge of being too much. But the fact they lean into that ambition is exactly why it works.
In contrast, Ok is stripped bare as Margolin’s raw, unembellished voice takes centre stage. Its delicate melodies feel almost ironic after the preceding mayhem, offering a wry nod to the band’s ability to swing between extremes. Don’t Want To Dance follows suit, burying competing harmonies beneath Margolin’s insistent strumming, delivering quite possibly the most compelling track in their whole discography. It’s equal parts vulnerable and anthemic.
Closer Stay Lucky I’ve Got A Feeling starts with a full stop in mind. “February is a feeling inside of me, and I’m ending it,” Margolin sings as it surges into something beautifully discordant. It’s a reminder that Porridge Radio’s fire is still burning, rather than one guttering out. In 15 minutes, they leave us with four of the best — a parting gift, and a bitter loss.
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