LOST

The journey began on OTR's debut Remnants Of Life, a quasi-conceptual mixture of adult rock, melodic prog and spacerock that was one of 2009's highlights. Follow-up Lost finds us stranded somewhere deep in hyperspace and is perhaps even better: its ingredients are similar, but are now effortlessly homogenized into a more rounded and ultimately more satisfying form, awash with imaginative touches, sublime melodies and euphoric grooves.

As before, celebrity guests add musical colour to augment the basic duo: sadly no Nik Turner this time, but Cyndee Lee Rule [viper violin] and Bridget Wishart [vocal, EWI] are back with vital contributions, alongside others on flute, sax and various vocals. Bridget's "it's always real" interlude in Planetscape is bewitching perfection amongst any number of highlights liberally strewn across the album's 80 minutes.

Although the near 25 minute prog epic The Mirror Of Her Dreams might be considered the album's pièce de résistance, my personal favourite is Transdimensional Flight, a slow burner that drips with a sense of loss evoking the spirit of the album's title, and by the way has some lovely acoustic guitar. Stellar performances abound of course, with only minor criticisms - I still would prefer to hear a live drummer - but overall it is another superb offering in what is turning out to be a Very Good Year for this kind of music.