Small Moments

True to its title, Small Moments might best be described as a superior sort of bedsit record. Rain on the window, failed heating, sugarless tea bad news maybe if you like your pop stars on a Dave Lee Roth scale, good if you hanker after the epic miserabilism of The Blue Nile or The Go-Betweens. Indeed, while we're talking '80s raincoat rock, Kitt is the first Rough Trade signing since Stars Of Heaven - no bad recommendation in itself.

SM is a collection of delicate, plaintive little ditties set to meandering arrangements which often suggest a skeletal High Llamas backing Al Stewart on a very slow Tuesday night. Not the most dynamic stuff in the world, and tunes like 'Another Love Song' can score worryingly high on the sap factor. But where Kitt is anaemic in terms of raw expression, he's strong on atmospheres. This is borne out by tracks like 'Sound Fades With Distance' and 'Headphones', both featuring the kind of archaic electronica Mike Mills or Peter Buck just might scout out for the next REM artefact.

Consider this good company for sensitive security men stranded on the graveyard shift. Kitt's musical humility is rare, but he might watch out it doesn't become a handicap.