Lost Horizons

The thing about Lemon Jelly is that they just can't get away from sounding like Lemon Jelly. Which I suppose is quite a good thing. It's this instantly recognisable mood and swing which captures the ear - allied with trademark breaks and loops dug from dusty records they found at their Grans'. They focus on what's important in life and Lost Horizons shines just as brightly as anything they've done previously.

Fred Deakin and Nick Franglen enjoy life as Lemon Jelly. The three elegant 10 EPs that went to create the first album were quietly successful, appearing on numerous TV shows and ads. Now, with the energetic single "Space Walk" already reaching the farther echelons of the top 40, it looks like Lost Horizons will be casting its net in the same direction. This time, its just got a bit bigger.

From the smooth horns of opener, "Elements", to the effervescent "The Curse of Ka'Zar", you can tell that Lemon Jelly have definitely got it sussed. Weaving a merry dance through tracks like the Charlton Heston narrated "Ramblin' Man" and the children's nursery rhyme of "Nice Weather for Ducks", Lost Horizons is packed full of nifty little samples, beautifully crafted with distant electronica and crisp beats.

From the sound of trumpet fanfares, to wisened harmonica and flutes, Lemon Jelly have retained their organic roots, and delivered an album which, though weighing in at a mere 8 tracks, is still jolly good. Inspired by the Avalanches (or is that the other way round?) and with a sneaky grin flicked at DJ Krush, Lemon Jelly trade somewhere between accessible cut'n'paste and hard-core, coffee table action.

Lemon Jelly albums reflect an inspired and delicate view of feel good. Joined with their graphically designed images adorning the pages of countless magazines and the expensive collectors editions of their records, the boys are gradually turning themselves into a brand. Creating beds for radio shows and their prominence on TV and adverts continue to fuel their ever increasing profile. This is happy music made for cosy afternoons tucked up on the sofa and if you're looking for something that'll give you a bit of a spring in your step, then you really couldn't do much better.

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