Mt.

Doubt

My Past Is A Quiet Beast

(self-released)

The man behind the moniker - or the mountain, if you prefer - is Edinburgh-based 21-year-old Leo Bargery, and from the name of this self-released debut album you can guess that he's a fan of Mogwai's slightly overblown approach to titles. You can make what you will of lines such as "You're like a Jean-Luc Godard jump-cut, baby" (on Bend Sinister), but there's no denying Bargery's ability to create atmospheric indie pop with delicate and sinewy melodies.

He tends to go for the slow-build, culminating in layered choruses that rarely fail to deliver a hook, with lead track Asunder being the best example. But it's a rare talent that can resist the temptation to fill every space with racket, and the instrumentation here is often commendably sparse. That's particularly true on Beast, which is as close to a title track as there is and one of the album's most beguiling songs, and on I Break Spirit, one of its most affecting.

Bargery's voice works well in the mix, a sort of semi-croon that recalls Stuart Staples of Tindersticks or The National's Matt Berninger. It's a tight set, too: ten songs, with only one over four minutes. It adds up to a pretty impressive calling card.

For details on how to buy a copy, go to Bargery's Facebook page, www.facebook.com/MtDoubt

Barry Didcock