Any listeners who may have been concerned that Anton Newcombe’s last few years of sobriety might result in him turning down the psychedelia and tip-toeing towards the mainstream can breathe a sigh of relief. Don’t Get Lost is yet another cracking psychedelic head-spin with plenty of good grooves. In fact, the Brian Jonestown Massacre have created a double album here without a single duff track a mere four months after the release of their last set.
As with many double albums, there is plenty of experimentation here, and in due course it may come to be viewed as the Brian Jonestown Massacre’s own Sandinista! Nevertheless, despite dipping into genres as disparate as wigged-out motorik grooves, baggy beats, trancey electronic dance music and even laid-back jazz, it’s an album without any of the quality control issues of the Clash’s famously sprawling opus. In fact, instead of coming over as disjointed and clunky, Don’t Get Lost has more of the atmosphere of a Jackson Pollock painting with bright splashes of sonic colour that add up to a seriously groovy album.
As well his present gang of sonic adventurers, Newcombe has recruited quite a crew of fellow confederates for Don’t Get Lost, from the Charlatans’ Tim Burgess to Pogues saxophonist Pete Fraser, who all fit well with the flow. However, it's the sultry vocals of Tess Parks that really stand out among the guests, and on the Velvet Underground-flavoured “Throbbing Gristle” and more summery “Dropping Bombs on the Sun”, she croons a seriously sassy and seductive tune.
Don’t Get Lost is sprawling but engaging; strange but accessible. It may not be packed with stand-out hit singles but it's a very special trip with some real depth.
