Loop Guru - Elderberry Shiftglass (Elsewhen)

Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing depends, of course, on whether you like Lemon Jelly. If you do, the latest offering from Sam 'Salman Gita' Dodgson and Dave 'Jamuud' Muddman will be an aural feast of stereophonic loveliness (or, as they describe it on the sleevenotes, "Soundcakes from the universe next door", though "Nuggets: with apologies to Fred Deakin" would have been a more honest subtitle). If you don't, stay away, as you're as likely to find anything to enjoy here as a Joy Division hater would find on a compilation tape of Interpol, Editors and iLiKETRAiNS.

Following on from their previous recent effort, 2003's Bathtime With Loop Guru, Elderberry Shiftglass is released on Sam Dodgson's own label, Elsewhen, which makes it all the more disappointing that with all the creative freedom in the world at his disposal, he seems more determined to copy someone else's sound than experiment with his own. It's also faintly annoying that they don't even bother to give Lemon Jelly the courtesy of listing them along with the other 'If you liked this, you might also like...' 50-odd usual suspects (Strawberry Alarm Clock, Pink Floyd, George Harrison, etc) on the sleeve notes.

This doesn't make Elderberry Shiftglass a bad record, of course, as if you're going to be inspired by anyone to this degree, there are far worse bands to chose than Lemon Jelly. In fact, it's a rather good album, from the clever top-and-tailing spoken vocals that invite the listener to enjoy the stereophonic sound production, through the science fiction psychedelia and Houston control room vocal samples of Strawberry Girl and Soft Fruit Sunday. Marie-Agathe Pecquet, othertimes of Camden Soul, offers a female touch with her floaty vocals.

The tail-end of the 60s wafts airily through most of the tracks, from the particularly trippy University of the Third Ear to the moments of dark paranoia that sneak into Pineapple Puppets on a Sandy Shore. There's also great brass on Seaweed Suspenders - provided by a tuba and a "psychedelic scuba hoover", whatever that might be - and lovely tribal drum loops and mellotron on Cryptic Kaleidoscope Crumble. One thing about Loop Guru - with names like Magical Melody Melon Minds for their tracks and oil slick tie-dye patterns all over their wares, they do what it says on the tin. If they turned out to sound like a pub rock band after that, it would be much more disappointing than them sounding like Fred Deakin's offcuts.

All of this combines to make a pleasing package of stylophonic euphoria wrapped up in world music beats and an Indian subcontinent musical mosaic worthy of the "psychedelic earfood" they're aiming for. If I'd never heard of Lemon Jelly, they'd have got four stars instead.

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