The Aliens - Luna

EXPERIMENTAL POP

After the glam rock and acid-soaked psychedelia on Astronomy for Dogs, this second album (on their own label) lets the three ex-Beta Band members leapfrog over even more musical boundaries. Recorded in Fife but sounding like a hippie Californian summer, Luna embraces the freedom The Aliens found after leaving EMI, but sometimes squeezes it too hard.

Flitting between prog-rock, seagulls and church choirs, ‘Bobby’s Song’ is a ten-minute wander through sea shanties, dreamy Beach Boys melodies and distorted keyboards, and ‘Theremin’ a blissful electronica swirl. It’s a confusing mix of innovation and euphoria – often hectic and over-ambitious – although glimpses of brilliance lie under the layers of sonic clutter.