Chequerboard - Penny Black

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More than enough inventiveness

Lucky is the artist who could find themselves at home on very different iPod playlists, and John Lambert - aka Chequerboard - is one of them.

His full-length debut 'Penny Black' would have as much appeal for the lover of guitar virtuosity as the fan of laidback electro or the rocker whose first exposure to the acoustic was the intro to Metallica's 'Battery'.

It's arguably harder with all-instrumental albums to keep listener's attention throughout, and while Lambert sometimes relies too much on the same pacing, he's also canny enough to keep his record sharp and succinct - nine tracks in 34 minutes.

Behind his brilliant playing there is more than enough inventiveness with machines to say that what comes next will be far more complex and colourful. And anyone who hears this, will look forward to hearing that.

Harry Guerin

Tracklisting: Penny Black - Ornithopter - Konichiwa - Quotidian Debris - The Winter Arcade - Skating Couple - 20th Century Artillery - Prince August - Toy Winds