It is said that familiarity breeds contempt – but such a saying is emphatically not the case when it comes to Ozric Tentacles.

For a band now onto their 17th album their music is at once reassuring and energising, like picking up a conversation with an old friend. Just a few notes of first track Guardstones confirms the old recipe is still working, the sensation as the music grows akin to that of seeing a much-loved plant blooming once again in the spring.

Yet if Harmonic Mind were a plant it would be a particularly virile strand of bamboo, growing with an unstoppable surge of energy. This is because Ozrics founder and ever-present Ed Wynne has harnessed the talents of his touring partners, letting them loose instinctively in the studio on six tracks that channel limitless possibilities of invention and musical generosity, without over-feeding their audience.

Harmonic Mind is named to reflect “the geometric structure and harmonic nature of existence”, and was recorded in the band’s home studios across the UK, appropriately ending up in Glastonbury. It also captures something a little different. The touring line-up strive – and succeed – to bring the chemistry evident in their live set-up onto record, with each player given room to bring their own voice to the music.

The enjoyment this gives each member of the group is clear, for the ensemble trade riffs and extended solos within conversations that are marshalled with an impressive rhythmic tightness, in spite of the many twists and turns. Guardstones is notable both for the balm of Saskia Maxwell’s flute and the driving forces of drummer Pat Garvey and percussionist Paul Hankin, each bringing colourful contributions.

The music teems with activity throughout, yet the individuals get the space when they need it – helping Wynne’s guitar solos make the best possible impact as they unfold with enviable ease, negotiating even the most complex rhythms. The band’s signature funk and syncopations sit well with the ever-changing instrumental textures of Silas Neptune, also on production duties with Wynne. Corey Wallace’s bass, often the fulcrum, is occasionally allowed to run wild (as on Space Platform) while often providing an undercarriage of very danceable funk.

As always, influences are far and wide – transglobal in the most positive sense, with dub, prog rock and spacey psychedelia often in evidence, the band’s sound immediately recognisable but typically elusive. The striking Malachite, taking the mineral as its inspiration, adds dazzling synthesizer colour to Wynne’s acoustic guitar.

From all this we learn that when it comes to Ozric Tentacles, another saying is key: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” The band – whose first best of was all the way back in 2004 – find freshness of invention is still key, with riffs that embed themselves in the consciousness as an added bonus for repeat plays. Fans will love it – while the consistency of their body of work means newcomers need not be daunted either. For this is a great place to start if you haven’t already dipped your toe in these musically rich waters.