Bitmap Alpha Beta Gamma

There's always a feel of dread that comes with listening to an album by someone you've never heard of. You put it off for weeks, using any excuse to listen to it the next day cause part of you just knows it will be crap.

The times when you're pleasantly surprised are far and few between. The Great Depression provided one and - hurrah! - Bitmap does the same. 2003 being the year of the lonely male figure in the studio alone, Alpha Beta Gamma is the product of another such project. Luke Bitmap may be known for his production duties for Fonda 500, and he's roped their Simon Stone to provide vocals on the excellent curtain raiser Runjamesrun.

Though occasionally songs wander, there's plenty of loveliness in something like Don't Be So Hard On Yourself or The Morning Wine to make up for it, in fact it's on songs such as these that Bitmap approaches being something quite special.

Armed with some rather ambiguous song titles, such as Adult Education With Pregnant Denis Mortel (a peculiar three minutes of various noises) and forthcoming single Black Arts In The Town Hall, Bitmap has seemingly elected to do his own thing completely here - there's little here to satisfy anyone looking for a quick hit of catchy pop songs, but plenty to make more discerning ears interested. Think a slightly less soppy Badly Drawn Boy.