Fail to follow close shave with alien instrument of torture (4,5)

I believe the answer is:

lose track

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'close shave with alien instrument of torture' is the definition.
I know nothing about this answer so I cannot tell whether this works.

'fail to follow' is the wordplay.
'fail' becomes 'lose' (I've seen this in other clues).
'to follow' becomes 'track' (I've seen this in another clue).
'lose'+'track'='LOSE TRACK'

Can you help me to learn more?

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.