Influences of artists often leave little to be genuinely impressed by; of a hundred bands who cite Led Zeppelin as a major inspiration behind their work, 99 will clearly bear the hallmarked sound of Page, Plant et al. By looking beyond the normal spectrum of musical influences and into the visual range of design, Peter McAuley instead derived an unconventional yet characteristic style around which to mould his musical output, Rams' Pocket Radio.
Much like a whirlwind, the top swirling with huge expanse, Dieter Rams Has Got The Pocket Radios launches with a big wide barrage of guitars and drums to suck the listener in but of course it's the grounded level where the force is strongest. That's where we hear McCauley come in with his simple but powerful use of piano and vocals to lead this introductory track of this second EP by the Lisburn multi-instrumentalist where it needs to go. The title is an explanation of the band's quirky handle, pledging a song to namesake Dieter Rams, the German product designer whose work on radios in the Fifties acted as a blueprint for the advancement of portable media players by Apple fifty years later. Rams' influence is also apparent in the eye-catching and clever packaging of the EP that reveals the track listing as the CD is rotated in the case.
Barely slowing despite the gap of seconds between tracks, Coal, My Lips Are Sealed seems to segue perfectly from its predecessor, losing no momentum for it's an equally dramatic number that covers a lot of ground very quickly with the fast, heady presence of piano and uplifting vocal harmonies. It can clearly be heard that Rams' Pocket Radio bear a touch of Northern Ireland's love for well-crafted rock songs but for all the cymbal swells and siphoning bass, the piano is what set these songs apart both on record and the scene at large.
However after this strong start comes Friendship Fails You. It's unfortunate that this is a weak point, the longest and least impressive track and brings Rams' Pocket Radio out of the rock arena into the domain of 'piano pop' that made temporary superstars of Keane in the last decade. Unfortunate as normally strings make a welcome addition to a song and there is a low buzz of electric guitar but in this case, the overall effect lacks an edge and is too slow, ponderous and indulgent to show any real spark of personality. That's not to say it's technically a bad song and no doubt there are swooning fans of generic love songs out there who will lap up Friendship Fails You but in comparison to the strength apparent earlier on, this reviewer found it a disappointing diversion.?
Thankfully things do pick up with Souvenir and Peter's vocal is enhanced by plainer intro. A light, snappy rhythm and the tender tones of acoustic guitar bring an American flavour, turned on its head by a simple but effective use of the piano. It drops off suddenly just as it could have really taken off: if the motive of an EP is to give a taster of what a full album can deliver then Rams' Pocket Radio have succeeded in delivering a selection of songs that will leave listeners looking for more.
