6/10

Back in his earliest beginnings as one of half of captivating electronic duo Lemon Jelly, producer Fred Deakin was never afraid to experiment with his work. Known for vast instrumentation, all wrapped up in a naturally British sense of humour, the pair were one of this country's best loved acts. But after more than a decade away from the limelight, Deakin has had the opportunity to redefine his place within the electronic music scene as he now looks to focus himself on a more urgent topic, global extinction, with his latest body of work 'Fred Deakin Presents The Lasters', a concept release about Earth's final family.

Said to be inspired by works such as The Who’s ‘Quadrophenia’ and Jeff Wayne’s ‘The War of the Worlds, 'Fred Deakin Presents The Lasters' also sees him team up with ex-Ash member Charlotte Hatherley as well as newcomers Abi Sinclair and Steffan Huw Davies to tell this wonderfully science-fiction-focused tale. Not in a too dissimilar feel to The Flaming Lips' 'Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots', the general vibe of this new collection regularly takes on a far out and psychedelic aesthetic for much of its runtime, delivering a warped and atmospheric release that shows a level of cohesion that Lemon Jelly were never too keen on.

Despite its utterly fascinating concept and broad imagination, 'Fred Deakin Presents The Lasters' does suffer from a lack of memorability though. While it makes for a fresh and fascinating listen through, it never feels like it would draw you back in the future. Making for a interesting listen that you can't imagine yourself coming back for more than once.