POHL II, is, as the name suggests, the second release from Bristol based POHL, and follows on from 2012’s ‘POHLSMOKER’. It is their first EP since they expanded to a trio towards the end of last year. It kicks off with ‘Cute Guy Alert’ which is the shortest and most straightforward song here. This song begins with a simple guitar riff but with the addition of bass, rolling drums and vocals at the one minute mark it soon builds into a chugging slab of grungy stoner rock that immediately brings thoughts of Clutch’s earlier material to mind.
POHL are more than capable of switching up the pace, and ‘Eraser’ not only showcases their excellent ability to build towering songs on top of strong percussive foundations, but it is also the first time that POHL demonstrate the more expansive parts of their sound. Throughout the rest of the release there are moments where almost whispered vocals mix with shimmering guitar work, often sitting side by side with the heavier parts, but the contrast really let the songs open up and evolve.
At just over seven minutes it is ‘God Save The Queen (High On Death)’ that is given the most freedom to grow. It successfully combines numerous elements of their sound, switching from clean gently strummed guitar lines to grungy walls of sound and back again, creating a vast sound-scape that you can really lose yourself in.
Throughout the EP, vocals alternate between the relaxed and fragile sounding to the forceful and direct, although they are sometimes hard to pick out particularly with clashing riffs for them to compete with.
If there’s one other criticism to level at ‘POHL II’, it would be that the production doesn’t quite do their sound justice. All three songs would benefit immensely from not only sounding bigger but feeling heavier. Music like this deserves to feel like it has some real weight behind it, and at times this is unfortunately missing.
However, despite this, it is testament to their imagination and ability that not a single moment of any song is wasted. Anyone who appreciates heavy riffs and a progressive approach to making music will love this.
CHRIS HILSON