Alice in Ultraland

Atom Heart Mother is actually not a bad comparison point to half of the tracks here, which are neither truly progressive rock, but far less wacky than true psychedelia. They've also infused far more obvious blues and funk influences. The most successful is The Prophet (which may be familiar to those who heard one of the many incorrect versions of The Isness, as Yes My Brother), which is a Miles Davis infused jazz funk piece, complete with wah guitar, bubbling organs and liquid bass. The name Yes My Brother returns here, in the form of a bluesy acoustic track complete with crazy lalala vocals.
Elsewhere on the album, things resemble The Isness a little more. Whilst Indian Swing is the only piece reminiscent of that record's endless sitar textures, the album does feature more traditional songs: In The Summertime Of Consciousness mixes Syd Barrett-like lyrics and vocals with Indian flute and jazz sax in a short burst of choas that deserves to be heard; first single , the Led Zeppelin-like The Witchfinder features Dave Sanderson on vocals; High & Dry is the nearest thing to a traditional pop song the group have written. The highlight of the album, however, is the epic The World Is Full Of Plankton, an epic on the proportions of The Isness's The Galaxial Pharmaceutical, with an even eerier atmosphere.

Whilst, unfortunately, some pieces in the first half sound a little tired (opener The Emptiness Of Nothingness and the aforementioned Indian Swing seem slightly irrelevant), leaving the album a step below The Isness in terms of overall quality, the album sounds a more coherent listen at the same time. Lacking the two minute instrumental interludes the 2002 album was chock full of, and with a far more unifying theme, tied together with atmospheric segues, ending on a melancholy ambient piece (The Wicker Doll), the album will probably be a far more satisfying listen to the FSOL fan who was disappointed with The Isness.
Overall, two or three duff tracks aside, the album is an astonishingly mature and constantly surprising album which becomes better on every listen.

It took around 8 years for the previous AA album to go from concept to reality. The painstaking process that they went through to create that masterpiece was well worth the effort because it is one of the finest records to ever have been made. This one, however, has a slightly different agenda. 4 years in the making make this record seems 'rushed' in comparison.

On receipt of this record is where the dissapointment begins, and i haven't even opened it yet. As ever, the artwork is stunningly beautiful. It is a joy to behold, but there is something missing. Where the previous album was packaged in a remarkable engineered box, corners seem to have been cut with this one. There is no engineering and there is a frustrating green record company label in the lower right hand side that does no justice to the artwork. Why on earth did the FSOL boys allow this? And that's not the half of it. When you lift the CD out of its case, underneath it is a message about how to acquire ringtones. BLOODY RINGTONES! After the incredibly high standards set by the previous record, you would think this one would come close or better it, but it dissapoints in that respect. Why am i getting so worked up about this? It is only a box after all. But this is half the fun of the record. It enhances the listening experience. First impressions last and it has already tainted the listening experience for me.

Anyway, the music.

Musically, the album is not disimilar to the prior AA outing. It is a remarkable world they have created, which is what the FSOL always aim to do with every record they have ever made. It is hard to pick standout tracks, but it seems that the entire album is bathed in this warm light that compells you to listen again. And again. And again. Just in case you missed something the first time around.

But there is something else here. Could this be the most commercially viable record they have made in recent years? If that is the case, they are probably going to take this album onto the road somehow. It seems plausable, as the tracks aren't too long and the music is slightly more accessible than the previous album. But therein lies the problem with this album. Not because it is more commercial, but an element of the band's mystiscism is , for me, lost.

There is nothing as stirring as 'Divinity' or the 'Mello Hippo Disco Show' or 'The Galaxial Pharmaceutical' (what a title!) on this album, but it does have some amazing moments and i feel this will be a record to stand the test of time, and it already seems 40 years old!

As lovely as the new record is, the old one will always be closer to my heart than this one. This is still a remarkable record and will hopefully give you many hours of listening pleasure, but i can give it only(!?!) 4 stars. It would be 5 if it were not for the extremely high precedent they have set with The Isness, but nevermind. Its a brilliant 7th album.