THE YUMYUM TREE

The YumYum Tree is the umpteenth album by legendary British spacerockers Ozric Tentacles, and shows all the signs of a band that has been going so long that they are able to create okayish tracks without much effort.

The mostly bass-driven songs explore the usual territories for this outfit - some energetic forays with energetic rhythms adding to the intensity with searching, distorted guitar sounds and soloing and swirling space-tinged synths providing the finer melodic details and spacey feelings. Other efforts are dreamier affairs, slow moving atmospheric efforts that can tend to get close to ambient and even new age territories at times. A couple of tracks adds in world music influences for variety.

Most of the tracks are nice. Okay efforts but lacking the magic blend of elements or the finer, subtle details needed to make the tracks stand out. There are a few occasions where the magic reappears though - opening effort Magick Valley and final track San Pedro first and foremost. I doubt if this album will win this fine band any new fans, but it will sustain their existing fanbase.