Australian geniuses King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard have returned with the new album, and by the end of the year, there will be four more releases. Don’t forget that they are also on tour for quite some time now. Impressive, right?
Someone would say that they are geniuses, while others would pick on them, especially those who are under the influence of a certain perspective that demands two or three years break between the albums. In my opinion, as long as they are creating such good records, I don’t have problem with their prolific production.
Long story short, I believe you already know that every album of King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard contains a special narrative that spreads throughout the whole album. They study a particular style, and then they move on to the other one. After the progressive Nonagon Infinity (that I consider as one of the best albums of 2016), they took turn to the micro-tone music, as the title suggests.
Many would be anxious about how does microtonal music sound. Did they exaggerate with their conceptual experimentation? The answer is a definite no. Flying Microtonal Banana sounds like a hardcore psychedelic tones of arch-bands exploded to the stadium proportions. Everything makes sense, and it is a natural continuation of their previous works.
The promotional single Rattlesnake is an eccentric rock number with catchy melodies and harmonies woven into interesting instrumental solutions. Although the song has the same rhythm, various instruments add up to its complexity, from piano miniatures to guitar solos.
On the other hands, Melting reminded me of The Doors, while Open Water could be the next single (If they don’t release the new album before that). Sleep Drifter has a base in the predecessor, only transposed to the dreamy psychedelic, while the middle of the album belongs to Billabong Valley, a track that sounds like it was made during Woodstock.
The second half of the album also has its advantages, and it includes some of the most creative songs the band has ever put out there. My favorite is Doom City with challenging rhythm and growling backvocals that give an impression of a horror movie music.
In conclusion, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard hit the jackpot once again. The album might not be as brilliant as the previous one, but it still stands out from anything else on the music market. Sometimes you just need to be a lunatic to succeed.
