Badly Drawn Boy - The Hour Of The Bewilderbeast

Before we had blog buzz, there was word of mouth and Damon Gough was perhaps its last great beneficiaries. Building on some soon to be seriously sought after EPs, The Hour Of The Bewilderbeast inserted some ambition into lo-fi slacker music. Yet it's the more understated moments - the 'Fall In A River's' and 'Bewilderbeast's' rather than the 'Once Around The Block's' that win the day. The record of course went onto win the Mercury Prize and, one fantastic soundtrack aside, Gough never really recovered. (Padraic Halpin)