Album: Jim Noir, Jim Noir (My Dad Recordings)

The army of bedsit Brian Wilsons that began to march as technology revolutionised the recording process merely went to show how difficult it was to match the maestro in terms of warmth, wonder and, crucially, songwriting.

The same can not be said of Manchester's Jim Noir. Imagine Hot Chip playing the Beach Boys greatest hits and replacing all references to California with lyrics that muse on local chippies and the joys of going to the same place for your holidays every year. An astonishing and inventive record from start to finish, this is nothing less than the laptop-pop 'Pet Sounds'. I kid you not.