Album Review: The Brian Jonestown Massacre are back with a jangling psychedelic storm in the brilliant ‘Fire Doesn’t Grow on Trees’.

Apparently the first The Brian Jonestown Massacre album in three years has distilled ten tracks from more than 60 recordings made over the years during the COVID lockdowns in singer/songwriter/guitarist Anton Newcombe’s Berlin recording studios. And the result is concentrated goodness, recalling some of Newton’s best material from over the decades. With less experimental sonic excursions and more jangling purity and melody, ‘Fire Doesn’t Grow on Trees’ is a stupendous collection of psych-tinged jingle jangle indie goodness and one of the best from the band in years.

The impression is that of something focussed and concentrated: pure pop with a rough hewn spangle and Newton’s urgent singing and sardonic wit.

Tracks like ‘The Real’ and ‘It’s About Being Free Really’ are dreamy and ethereal with that trademark twelve string jangle and driving energy.

‘Before and Afterland’ is a rambling, chaotic excursion onto a hypnotic realm while ‘You Think I’m Joking’ has a western twang and cinematic scope filled with fuzz and attitude. Newcombe’s sardonic humour shines through the delivery and titles: matching the striking album cover – indeed ‘#1 Lucky Kitty’ reflects the cover, and delivers something that has all the goodness of a sixties spaced out psychedelic classic with a wall of guitars and swagger and a pounding insistent rhythm section.

It’s been quite a year for Newcombe and the band – their unique and vintage gear was stolen while on tour in the US and subsequently most of it was recovered, and, like the rest of us, their lives have been blighted by COVID restrictions. With ‘Fire Doesn’t Grow on Trees’, the band is emphatically back and sounding better than ever. This is up there with the best of their releases with a level of consistent quality that never falters across the ten tracks.

The album is out now and available through all the usual download/streaming sites as well as here (for physical copies) and here.

The Brian Jonestown Massacre have released a massive schedule of dates over the next year – see below for details.

2022
SUN 25/09/22 FRANCE Nancy – L’Autre Canal

MON 26/09/22 FRANCE Grenoble – La Belle Electrique

TUE 27/09/22 FRANCE Toulouse – Le Bikini

WED 28/09/22 SPAIN Barcelona – Apolo

THU 29/09/22 SPAIN Madrid – La Paqui

FRI 30/09/22 SPAIN Bilbao – Kafe Antzokia

SAT 01/10/22 FRANCE Bordeaux – Le Vigean

SUN 02/10/22 FRANCE La Rochelle – La Sirene

TUE 04/10/22 FRANCE Paris – La Trianon

THU 06/10/22 THE NETHERLANDS Nijmegen – Doornroosje

FRI 07/10/22 GERMANY Cologne – Luxor

SAT 08/10/22 SWITZERLAND Zurich – Mascotte

SUN 09/10/22 GERMANY Munich – Strom

MON 10/10/22 CZECH REPUBLIC Prague – Lucerna Music Bar

TUE 11/10/22 GERMANY Dresden – Beatpol

WED 12/10/22 THE NETHERLANDS Amsterdam – Paradiso

FRI 14/10/22 BELGIUM Antwerp-Desertfest

2023
SAT 28/01/23 U.K Falmouth – Princess Pavilions

SUN 29/01/23 U.K Bristol – SWX

TUE 31/01/23 U.K Brighton – Concorde 2

FRI 03/02/23 U.K Birmingham – Academy 2

SAT 04/02/23 U.K Manchester – Ritz

SUN 05/02/23 U.K Glasgow – Barrowlands

MON 06/02/23 U.K Edinburgh – La Belle Angele

TUE 07/02/23 U.K Newcastle – Riverside

THU 09/02/23 U.K Dublin – Academy

FRI 10/02/23 U.K Belfast – Limelight 2

SAT 11/02/23 U.K Liverpool – Camp & Furnace

SUN 12/02/23 U.K Nottingham – Rescue Rooms

TUE 14/02/23 U.K Leeds – Stylus

WED 15/02/23 U.K London – Forum

SAT 18/02/23 GERMANY Hamburg – Knust

SUN 19/02/23 DENMARK Copenhagen – Amager Bio

MON 20/02/23 SWEDEN Gothenburg – Pustervik

TUE 21/02/23 SWEDEN Stockholm -Slaktkyrkan

WED 22/02/23 NORWAY Oslo – Rockefeller

THU 23/02/23 SWEDEN Malmo – Moriska Paviljonen

SAT 25/02/23 GERMANY Berlin – Festsaal Kreuzberg