Fridge - Eph (Go Beat)

Fridge have promised much since their bizarre debut album, Ceefax and certain improvements to their sound are instantly obvious on Eph. They've gone from recording tracks in minutes in their front room to extending the recording process in the more salubrious environment of a recently built home studio in London's swinging Clerkenwell (also home to Mixmaster Morris). The resulting vibes are more like beaten-up Bond epics ('Ark') than the made-for-TV specials of Ceefax.

'Meum' is very much back to their roots. Tumbling acoustic drums and scrambled guitars, but with now with an added thematic resonance. Eph also has a rather old fashioned air in that it's only forty two minutes long and their latest single 'Kinoshita Terasaka' isn’t included. Which is a pity as it was a blinder. Perhaps they'll save it for another compilation, a la last years self-explanatory 'Sevens And Twelves' CD set. Other stand-out tracks include the one minute wonder of 'Tuum' and the lush 'Yttrium'.

And if you're into this LP, make a point of checking out Four Tet's recent long player, Dialogue (Output) released a couple of months ago as an off-shoot project from Fridge's Kieran Hebden. 6.5/10