The Boats - Our Small Ideas 2012 Edition (CD)

This album is reportedly a favourite of the Boats boys themselves and to be honest I'm not surprised. As an expanded version of a sought-after CDr which kicked off the Our Small Ideas Boats sub-label series, this music is already precious in its original form. It captures the (then) duo in organic early hours territory making some of their most intimate, rustic, twinkly sounds.

Nothing overstays its welcome here, you know you're on fertile ground when within a minute of pressing play you're submerged in hovering wordless voices humming, lulling wistful guitar and the most subtle of glitch-beats, so tiny you can barely hear it. 'Information for Employers' is characteristic of that innocent time in electronica before twats applied useless genre-tags to it. Fragile electronics, field recordings, tender blunted, tactile acoustic instruments doused in those gorgeous reflective xylophone tinkles. A pure sound.

For another example 'Raindrops Remain' holds down a lovely pattering electronic beat, a disembodied acoustic loop, a backdrop of dream-like chiming wonder and an example of innocent schoolboy singing that is sorely missing in much of today's underground DIY scene.