CD: The Brian Jonestown Massacre - The Brian Jonestown Massacre

★★★★ THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE Wonderful reminder of a much-overlooked band

Anton Newcombe is a changed man. Fortunately his music remains the same

If you're familiar with The Brian Jonestown Massacre, chances are it's from the 2004 Sundance-winning rockumentary, Dig!. The film took a wry look at the Californian band's intense rivalry with The Dandy Warhols. More, though, it was an extended character-study of charismatic, drug-frazzled BJM frontman Anton Newcombe – a man once described as consuming narcotics so ferociously, it was like an anteater eating ants. It was generally assumed Newcombe would soon be sucked into the vortex of his fevered mind. Instead, he got sober and stayed that way.  

The change is certainly remarkable. Newcombe now lives Berlin where he divides his time between BJM work and producing other bands (including The Charlatans). He's also a keen gardener, dad, and husband. Black-rimmed glasses now sit under his long tousled hair and his famous sideburns have now turned almost white. He looks like he could be Neil Young's homely cousin.

It was by embracing family life, apparently, that Newcombe stopped wanting to "fly through the universe on some manic trip." Fortunately, though, when it comes to his music, that's exactly what he's still doing. The Brian Jonestown Massacre is the band's 18th album in 24 years and, as usual, it's a mind-bending blend of psychedelic indie-rock and shoegaze.

Unsurprisingly, then, the tracks tend to blend into a great cosmic soup. That's no bad thing. It reminds you a little of Hawkwind. Both bands also produce tons of material whose loose sound belies great craftsmanship. And both possess a working ethos that's almost folky. I mean, BJM's second most famous member, Joel Gion, is even a tambourine player.

The Brian Jonestown Massacre is a fine album on many levels, but the perhaps best thing about it is its ability to get you out of your mind without chemical assistance. "We Never Had A Chance" feels like coming up for air while "My Mind is Filled with Stuff" is superbly trippy. Granted, there's nothing here as shamanic as Their Satanic Majesties' Second Request, but the other-wordly atmosphere is still a great antidote to the modern world. All in, this is a wonderful reminder of a much-overlooked band. 

@russcoffey

Overleaf: The Brian Jonestown Massacre performing live in 2018

CD: Stephen Malkmus - Groove Denied

Wayward solo set hits the shops two years after its creator wanted it issued

Groove Denied’s keeper is “Ocean of Revenge”, a drifting Syd Barrett-tinged contemplation with a structural circularity and edge setting it apart from the rest of what’s credited as the first solo album from Stephen Malkmus since 2001’s eponymous set. That, though, was an album he wanted co-billed to him and his band The Jicks. His label Matador had other ideas.

CD: UB40 - For the Many

★★★ UB40 - FOR THE MANY The British reggae band release a new Labour of Love

The British reggae band release a new Labour of Love

Birmingham’s reggae veterans UB40 are a band who have often worn their politics on their sleeves, and the title of their new album is taken from Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party mantra. The parallels between the two have already been noted, of course. After a turbulent time, a split saw a new man thrust into the spotlight while divisions raged and claims were made over who had the rights to the soul of a British institution. Sound familiar? 

CD: Cinematic Orchestra - To Believe

★★★★ CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA - TO BELIEVE An invitation to an inward journey

An invitation to an inward journey

A mere 12 years since their previous disc Ma Fleur came out, the Cinematic Orchestra have finally got around to releasing their fourth studio album. So naturally, there are expectations to meet and To Believe responds by demonstrating a re-energised artistic direction. The new album finds a good balance between the lightness of the Cinematic Orchestra’s sound and a coherent, well-articulated album concept.

CD: Karen O and Danger Mouse - Lux Prima

A great album that could’ve been one of the greats

As collaborations go, it’s a doozy. Karen O’s signature vocals over Danger Mouse’s production – it was always going to pique interest. And Lux Prima does much to meet expectations, gorgeous cinematic soundscapes that flit between haunting and defiant. At its best, its damn near mesmerising. But for those expecting a genre-defying, structure-blowing new horizon, it falls just short.

DVD/Blu-ray: Freak Show

★★★ DVD/BLU-RAY: FREAKSHOW Overplaying gay, Alex Lawther surprises in school teen com

Overplaying gay, Alex Lawther surprises in Trudie Styler’s high school teen com

You might think an American high school comedy an unlikely place to locate a love letter to Oscar Wilde – even if there’s a flamboyantly gay story behind it. But Freak Show screenwriters Beth Rigazio and Patrick J Clifton, adapting James St James’ source story, have a way with wit that is clearly aiming to match the writer whom they keep quoting.

CD: Sigrid - Sucker Punch

★★★★ SIGRID - SUCKER PUNCH You may have heard this one before, but it's worth revisiting

You may have heard this one before, but it's worth revisiting

You’d be forgiven for thinking, in the age of streaming, that the promotional single was a dying art. And yet there’s already something familiar about Sigrid’s long-awaited debut album.