Mr Scruff: Keep It Unreal (Ninja Tune)

WITH A four-year trail of often brilliantly wayward 12"s behind him, it's taken Manchester's Andy Carthy ages to release his debut album. He's no perfectionist, however: his preferred masterplan is "not to do anything very specific," while the intro to 'Keep It Unreal' is a mix of dead air and Mary Anne Hobbs — who's wondering where the hell he is, as he arrives late for a Radio 1 guest slot. Ambition? Professionalism? Carthy didn't opt for a Scruffy alter ego for nothing.