Although released at more or less the same time as Journey Into the Cosmic Inferno, Pink Lady Lemonade You're From Outer Space feels like a second, or at least secondary, album by the new version of the ever-expanding Acid Mothers. The core band is again joined by Afrirampo drummer Pikachu, whose footprint was welcome on the other Cosmic Inferno record.

Both albums were recorded over two three-day sessions in February and June, 2008, so it's not quite right to call Pink Lady Lemonade a sophomore album, but it might be fair to call it outtakes. Journey struck the perfect balance between the Acid Mother's long, undulating jams and their experimental (if mildly so) tendencies, but Pink Lady Lemonade falls into their familiar aimless-wandering trap. It still sounds good - leader Kawabato Matoko knows what he's doing and gets credit on both records for producing, mixing and engineering (writing credits go to all of the members in various combinations). But when they're at their still-pretty-good worst, AMT feel lazy, as if they found one or two cool sounds and let that carry them for 15 or 20 minutes. That's what happens on Lemonade. The four tracks are built from hypnotically repeating guitar lines, bloopily soaring keyboards and steady, mid-tempo drumming. But the approach is all Ikea: they put them together and sit on them. Where Journey had the feeling of going nowhere fast, Pink Lady Lemonade just goes nowhere.

Acid Mothers Temple & The Cosmic Inferno: Pink Lady Lemonade You're From Outer Space Is On Sale at Squidco!