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Apr 04, 2019 Web Exclusive By Dom Gourlay

Anton Newcombe has been responsible for some of the most invigoratingly exploratory music released over the past quarter of a century. Since forming The Brian Jonestown Massacre in the early ‘90s they’ve gone through numerous line up changes with Newcombe being the only constant, yet despite the upheaval they’ve remained one of the most consistent when it comes to quality control.

So it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Newcombe and his band’s 18th LP ranks as highly as its predecessors. The first to feature another relatively new line up including fellow Berlin based musician Sara Neidorf on drums and Icelandic guitarist Hakon Adalsteinsson, perhaps best known for his work with The Third Sound.

Following on from last year’s equally impressive Something Else, it represents another fine addition to an already majestic body of work. Several of these songs will be familiar to anyone that caught the band on tour last autumn, not least excellent opener “Drained” or album midpoint “A Word.” Both of which became focal points of those shows and almost certainly regular staples of The Brian Jonestown Massacre’s live set going forwards.

Comprised of nine pieces ranging from the sprawling epic “We Never Had a Chance” to more traditional folk orientated numbers with a psychedelic twist like “My Mind Is Filled With Stuff” and “Remember Me This.” “Tombes Oubliées,” the French version (and B-side) of recent single “Forgotten Graves” (sang by Rike Bienert) also makes a welcome appearance, while closer “What Can I Say” ends the record on an inquisitive note which begs the question what next?

Prolific and engaging as ever. Here’s to album number 19. (www.thebrianjonestownmassacre.com)

Author rating: 8/10