The Aliens - Luna

The Aliens clearly believe in the art form of the album - not as a collection of separate, well-defined singles but as an epic, sprawling magnum opus of Pink Floyd proportions. And Luna is a retro beast, each song reminiscent of something from the past - whether it be Theremin's fragile Brian Wilson harmonies, the Neil Young guitar sprawl of Boats, or the psychedelic space odyssey of Blue Mantle. As well as replicating other sounds they reference their own; lead single Magic Man is the playful - but logicial - bridge between this and previous album Astronomy for Dogs. But there's a sense that the Aliens are too busy playing at the past to truly find their own voice, perhaps leaving the casual listener short of patience to wait for the tunes to reveal themselves. Their hardcore fans however, will be delirious at the treasures contained here. [Milo McLaughlin]