Stephen was essentially
David Kilgour's project during the last years of
the Clean's career, and as a less ambitious "side project," the band felt free to play loosely with the typical pop jangle of New Zealand rock. The result is a body of work that practically defines the simple and gorgeous blend of jangling guitars and beautiful melodies that became a Flying Nun trademark. The label's re-issue of
Radar of Small Dogs includes the EP of that name, as well as the Dumb EP and a few live tracks. Dumb, the earliest of the recordings, sticks with the stripped-down jangle that typifies the band;
Radar of Small Dogs is slightly more polished and pop-oriented, varying the group's sound and occasionally growing denser than the earlier recordings ("Mary Had a Steamboat"). The collection stands as a lovely example of New Zealand pop, and will doubtlessly be appealing not only to followers of the scene, but the uninitiated as well.