Peter McCauley, a multi instrumentalist and the genius behind Ram’s Pocket Radio (Facebook/Bandcamp), synchronises a mix of accomplished piano, intense strings, soulful vocals and sweeping guitars to offer intense pop melodrama all the way from Lisburn, Ireland. Already the BBC have got their jaws into this fresh talent, with McCauley appearing on Tom Robinson’s BBC 6 Music Introducing Show as well as on the Glastonbury stage of the same name in late June. Due to only having one pair of hands but a musical talent that extends to more than one instrument, McCauley has employed the help of a band for his live shows and is touring as we speak.
Their first single, Dieter Rams Has Got the Pocket Radio, is really a sound of intense emotion with crescendos galore. It’s a strong and brave debut, which deserves the attention it’s receiving. The E.P, Dieter Rams Has Got The Pocket Radios, is a little mellower but still shows great, raw talent; it’s probably even harder to have an impact with a slower, more minimal sound but songs like Friendship Fails You, proves that McCauley is something special. The impact of this music is hardly ephemeral and it definitely gives Ben Folds a run for his money.
McCauley’s choice of name is also very intriguing and original; it is the name of a product designer who worked for Braun in the 1950s. Dieter Rams has been said to have influenced the Apple design team in their quest for global dominance. I’m not sure that Ram’s Pocket Radio are steaming towards global dominance but all that I can say is that their E.P is a cracker, which displays moments of sensitivity and others of ball busting creativity.
[Free] Ram’s Pocket Radio – Trajectories EP (demos)
[BUY] Ram’s Pocket Radio – Dieter Rams Has Got The Pocket Radios
