Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder to the Sky
by Porridge Radio
Metascore
81

Universal acclaim - based on 13 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
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  1. The Quietus
    May 23, 2022
    90
    The dark alchemy of Waterslide – named after one of the art-pieces Margolin painted during lockdown – ultimately flows from the manner in which it slithers under the skin even as it engages with that part of your monkey brain that enjoys a zinging pop song. ... As with much else here, the moment is beautiful and ugly and extraordinary.
  2. The Line of Best Fit
    May 18, 2022
    90
    Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder To The Sky is a brilliantly crafted album. Stylistically, all 12 tracks feel brilliantly stitched together, and the album as a whole is a complete standout for Porridge Radio as a band.
  3. DIY Magazine
    May 18, 2022
    90
    There’s something invigorating about how audibly Porridge Radio stare their demons head on, step up to the plate and turn them into something big and ambitious and beautiful.
  5. Paste Magazine
    May 18, 2022
    89
    They show they don’t need to burn down what they’ve built and start over—they can grow outward, not just upward. These songs are some of the best and most inventive they’ve done, and they prove that Porridge Radio, while always burning brightly, are no mere flash in the pan.
  6. Beats Per Minute
    May 20, 2022
    81
    They’ve made the brave decision to remember what it’s like to feel and to breathe again, and it can all be heard in the stirring vibrations of Margolin’s words and voice.
  7. The Observer (UK)
    May 23, 2022
    80
    Two years on, this sequel is a similarly entrancing, sometimes frightening listen.
  8. AllMusic
    May 20, 2022
    80
    With a title partly inspired by a surrealist collage by Eileen Agar and partly by the Biblical Jacob's Ladder, it was produced by Tom Carmichael, Porridge Radio drummer Sam Yardley, and singer and songwriter Dana Margolin, who continues to evoke artists like Sarah Mary Chadwick and Torres here with her raw and passionate vulnerability.
  9. New Musical Express (NME)
    May 19, 2022
    80
    Porridge Radio are sharpening their craft, but they’re not pretending anything’s any easier, and that’s what makes them such a uniquely compelling band.
  10. Exclaim
    May 18, 2022
    80
    Porridge Radio delight in these universal growing pains that ultimately reveal a greater vulnerability, born of not having it all figured out yet. As such, WDBLTTS is a natural next step on the road to nowhere.
  11. musicOMH.com
    May 18, 2022
    80
    The band’s third album has a raw power which has the ability, at times, to stop you in your tracks. It’s also their best work to date.
  12. Pitchfork
    May 19, 2022
    79
    Waterslide broadens Porridge Radio’s sound with honking synths, megaphones, horns, studio luxuries with the patina of junkyard grime—the influence of Rain Dogs smuggled into radio-friendly indie rock vis a vis Modest Mouse. Still, it’s Margolin alone who determines the trajectory of each song.
  13. Under The Radar
    Jun 1, 2022
    65
    Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder To The Sky certainly isn’t the most groundbreaking record musically but Porridge Radio is certainly innovative in approach and original in delivery and have made an ambitious and compelling record that demands attention, but at times is not an easy listen.

User Reviews

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User Score
8.3

Universal acclaim- based on 7 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. All_ButTrU4
    May 20, 2022
    6
    On "every bad" they wore their heart on their sleeves but on WDBLTTS they are less open,more jaded. Straight off of the anthemic opener "backOn "every bad" they wore their heart on their sleeves but on WDBLTTS they are less open,more jaded. Straight off of the anthemic opener "back to the radio" they announce their isolation like breaking news, it's only the beginning . The songs cover similar themes to 2020's stellar debut but with more emotional distance which can unfortunately reduce the impact of some of it's lesser tracks. The production is still noteworthy but doesn't challenge it's own status quo . Overall this is a good record with ok songs,that given time could improve.… Full Review »
  2. jmharps
    Sep 3, 2022
    9
    Waterslide is a worthy successor to Every Bad that even manages to outdo its predecessor. Although sadness infuses virtually every song on theWaterslide is a worthy successor to Every Bad that even manages to outdo its predecessor. Although sadness infuses virtually every song on the album, I feel uplifted, rather than depressed by the end of the album. The opening song Back to the Radio describes the breakdown of a relationship, but frontperson Dana Margolin describes the song as cathartic. From her repeated instance that she does not want to be loved on Birthday to the description of an ex lover clearing the gunk form her heart to make room for the light in Flowers, Margolin's songs are filled with Cure-like self loathing and desperation. The album reaches a crescendo on Rip where Margolin sings about throwing a relationship away before it went bad on top on a buzzing guitar. The title song provides a fadeout for the album telling us that Margolin doesn't want the end or the beginning. And yet, after listening to the detritus from Margolis' heart, I want to go back into her world again as soon as possible.… Full Review »
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