The superb, emotion-ridden, classic rock voice of Dana Margolin, the singer of Brighton quartet Porridge Radio, underpins the ragged, intelligent beauty of their second release, “Every Bad.” Whether crooning raggedly or revving up to a scream, her performance is a tour de force, but there is more to the band than her. All eleven songs marry tumbled personal lyrics, often repeated as melodic incantations, with savvy arrangements built around crunchy riffs and buttressed with keys. “Every Bad” sounds at once typically British and fresh as revolution. Call it indie, call it semi-punk, call it Costello-like pop, call it what you will, this is a gorgeous romp that enlivened Coronavirus lockdown, and I heartily recommend it. If you need tracks to check out, go for Margolin shrieking “you’re wasting my time” on “Long,” a song that builds and then cools; the thumping aching pop of “Give/Take”; and “Lilac,” a lovely scuzzy torch song.
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