The Brian Jonestown Massacre: Revelation review – reaffirmation of psych-rockers' cult status

The Brian Jonestown Massacre are now on their 14th album. And it's not so much a Revelation, more a reaffirmation of their cult status. Anton Newcombe's staunch adherence to a 60s psych aesthetic means repetitive songs with tambourines to the fore, all swathed in a musty reverb and his fey, wasted vocal recalling fellow indie survivor Stephen Pastel. Notwithstanding these strict parameters, there's much to enjoy: opening track Vad Hände Med Dem marries the juddering sound of the 13th Floor Elevators to the groove of the Velvet Underground's What Goes On; the instrumental Second Sighting finds pastoral flutes and plucked acoustic guitars; and there are Sympathy for the Devil-style backing vocals on closing track Goodbye (Butterfly). True, Newcombe's fondness for repetition allows him to take half an idea and stretch it out until it disappears into a chorus-less fug. But it's all pleasingly reassuring, like stepping into a well-curated vintage furniture shop.