ALBUM OF THE WEEK
When King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard released Eyes Like The Sky early this year – an album which consisted of a story, written and narrated by Broderick Smith while the band provided the atmosphere of an old western – one was left wondering: what the hell was supposed to follow this audiobook of a release?
The question is immediately answered with this album’s opening song, ‘Head On/Pill’ – a sixteen-minute odyssey of psychedelic sitar illusions. Sixteen minutes does sound like a long runtime for a song, and it is, but it contains the same atmosphere and energy as a party that’s over though no-one can finish saying their goodbyes, so the music simply keeps on going.
After the freak-out of ‘Head On/Pill’, the slow, distorted swagger of ‘I’m Not A Man Unless I Have A Woman’ is welcome relief. Each song on the album leaps from strength to strength; ‘Let Me Mend The Past’ possesses a sweet quality and an almost soulful tone while ‘Mystery Jack’ is somewhat of a nod to Eyes Like The Sky with its heavy surfing-western guitar.
Float Along – Fill Your Lungs is a difficult album to listen to if you’re unsure whether or not you like psychedelic music, but after what has been an already impressive year of psychedelic releases, if you’re still unsure then you probably have found your answer.
King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard possess a unique flair, one which arguably sets them apart to float above the rest of the crowd, and this is the album that proves it.
4.5/5 stars
BY DANIEL PRIOR
Float Along – Fill Your Lungs is out now through Flightless/Dot Dash.
