The Top 30 Albums Of 2020 (So Far): Porridge Radio - 'Every Bad'

"It starts off a little wistful, then genuine." - Sam Wall

Dana Margolin really has a way with words. She likes to roll them 'round and 'round until the meaning flakes off and there’s nothing but feeling left.

On opener Born Confused the singer chants "Thank you for making me happy" for a minute and a half. It starts off a little wistful, then genuine. With about 40 seconds left the edges start to wobble and the mantra becomes a frenzied wash of anguish. By the time the song cuts out, mid-sentence, it sounds like an accusation, if not an attack.

She told Apple Music that the track "captures the feeling of frustration and trying to figure things out", which is maybe the core of Every Bad. It’s full of direct contradictions, cocksure one second and confused the next. It does an incredible job of transmitting the anxiety of being in your mid-20s. I’m an adult, why am I still adrift? "Oh, I don't know what I want/But I know what I want/Oh, I don't know what I want/But…".

The DIY Brighton outfit were called 'slacker indie' when they released their first full album. Every Bad shows that description had more to do with the garage they recorded it in than their motivation.