Glasgow-based multi-instrumentalist / producer Paul Smith (aka Reverbaphon) takes his name from a rather unconventional musical instrument of his own invention dubbed the “reverbaphone.’ Constructed from a reed mouthpiece connected to a long cardboard tube, linked with a spring tension to a variable-speed four-track recorder, it enables Smith to alter the pitch of his vocals during recording, representing the ultimate analogue vocal FX unit, if you will. It’s this decidedly off-centre, homebrewed approach that best sums up the contents and intent behind Smith’s second full-length effort as Reverbaphon (this time on his own Anominous imprint), its lengthy title perhaps inspired by the frenzied “pack the kitchen sink’ strategy followed by the producer when selecting his instrumental palette.
Indeed the range of different instruments employed on the tracks gathered here soon becomes almost dizzying, to a point where a lot of the fun comes from trying to pick out just what’s being used when and where, to flesh out Smith’s bowerbird-like unpredictable downbeat pop / electronic arrangements. As for the music itself, Smith’s delicate blend of melancholic guitars and unpredictable electronics frequently had me calling to mind Hood and Styrofoam’ post-rock tinged efforts, or perhaps local artist Gotye’s cinematic downbeat pop. While the tiny production details may be ingenious however, it’s the strength of the songs themselves that really carries this album, and in that sense Smith certainly hasn’t lost track of the bigger picture, with plenty of strong material on offer here.
