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Public Radio

Sweetchild

Written by: DR on 27/09/2009 21:29:45

Any band that comes recommended to me under the promise that they are 'For fans of Death Cab For Cutie' is likely to not only grab my attention, but plenty of other peoples out there. It may be all too easy for any American indie band to make such a claim, Death Cab are, after all, America's biggest indie pioneers. Public Radio, undoubtedly, do have an influence of Death Cab about them, but they also have elements of pop and 80's styled electronic beats, which all combine to create one catchy, uplifting and altogether impressive cocktail.

It's actually a style that seems to be latest vogue over here in the United Kingdom, and with the right promotion, the idea of "Forgot Love" or "Accident" appearing in an episode of "Skins" or something thereabouts, landing a place in the charts and then becoming a regular fixture on the mainstream radiowaves is not an entirely far-fetched one.

"Sweetchild" kicks off "Sweetchild" with the gentle murmurs of Mark Mathis as he sings "I was talking to a friend of mine, about the end of the world as we know it." A gloomy prospect, on paper, but when you hear the song itself, such a thought wouldn't penetrate your mind. The second song "Forgot Love" opens with "You can hum it all you like, you can sing it in your mic, but you can't be in love without showing it" so it should come as absolutely no surprise that this is the most upbeat song on this five-track EP. The track then ascends into soaring and stunning vocal harmonies: "Your heart's been crushed, you forgot love / I want to be with you when the nighttime is over. I want to be with you when the morning is coming." I defy anyone not to be elated and uplifted by that climax. "17 Is Too Young" has an almost dirty vibe to it, and you probably don't need to be a genius to guess what it is about: "My girlfriend is a wreck, and I don't want to go to war." "Accident" further demonstrates the skilled guitar-work that is on show throughout this album, as the song itself continues along the uplifting vein that this band pull off as well as most of their contemporaries. "Outer Limits" represents a disappointing end to an otherwise very good album; it's not a terrible song, but it won't hold your attraction like the previous songs do.

Not only do Public Radio make good, intoxicating music, but they also have a point - something to say. Despite not being the first band with a message, they deserve respect for attempting to add substance in to their music, and they deserve plaudits for pulling it off as skillfully as they do. Moreover, this record doesn't, as plenty of others have done, fall victim of taking itself too seriously. Listen.

Download: Sweetchild, Forgot Love
For Fans of: Echo Screen, Death Cab For Cutie, The Postal Service
Listen: Myspace

Release date 07.09.2009
Deep Elm Records