It’s impossible to write about Sydney’s Lovetones without mentioning the 1960s or the Brian Jonestown Massacre (BJM), so let’s get that bit over with. Yes, they are heavily influenced by Swinging Sixties psychedelia and yes, their main songwriter Matthew J Tow is a former bandmate of Anton J Newcombe. But there’s so much more to The Lovetones than this.

On Lost, the Aussie fourpiece have gently steered themselves in some new directions. ‘This Great Romance’ is a wide-eyed love song, gilded with pretty little melodica and xylophone flourishes. The folky ‘Coming Home’ is even sweeter still, infused with harpsichord and a mesmerising duet between Tow and guest vocalist Miranda Lee Richards.

You could almost be forgiven for thinking that, five albums into their career, The Lovetones have suddenly discovered a fresh innocence. But that would be to ignore the heroic hedonism elsewhere on the record. ‘Come Dance With Me’ is a woozy waltz, describing a near-hallucinogenic encounter with a mysterious woman. ‘City Meets The Stars’ is mind-bendingly awesome, boasting a Rickenbacker guitar soaked in luscious organ. And final track ‘Earth’s Great Sleep’ is a kaleidoscopic voyage of self-discovery, swept along by a slow, hypnotic rhythm section.

So, if anyone ever tells you that The Lovetones are just 1960s enthusiasts, stuck in thrall to the BJM, give them a copy of Lost. They’ll soon change their mind.

Forget their influences. Forget their infamous friends. The Lovetones have just delivered their fourth consecutive album of consistently outstanding music. And that’s all that matters.

By Andy McLean