MANKATO

Mankato - Flesh And Bone (released 14.04.03) Mankato, AKA London musician Darren Berry, has created a debut single that marks him out as distinctive voice in the overflowing singer/songwriter market. 'Flesh And Bone' sounds like James have gone berserk in a toy cupboard. The dominant sound on the single is of someone hammering away on a Casio keyboard to provide backing to three minutes of quirky cartoon pop.

There is an effortless John Lennon vibe about extra tracks 'Safe As Houses' and 'No Promises'. Many blustering indie bands (Embrace and Starsailor to name two culprits) have achieved considerable success without getting close to matching the lush pop sound of Mankato's b-sides. The cheery vocal and random instrumentation particularly on 'Safe As Houses' recalls Swedish popsters The Wannadies. 'No Promises' is another welcome laid-back pop gem. It's the kind of tune that we have been waiting in vain for from Martin Carr ever since the demise of The Boo Radley's.

'The Great Indoors' is due to be released as the only b-side on the vinyl version of the single. It is a song with an anti-globalisation message, which suggests that Berry has plenty to say. Added to his ability to craft a perfect tune this should ensure that Mankato makes a big impact sooner rather than later. Gavin Eves