★★☆
Being one of the most prolific bands out there, it’s hardly career-ending for King Gizz to (finally) release something a little undercooked.
Flying Microtonal Banana’s opener is a low point, lacking the energy and rhythmic play of last year’s spectacular Nonagon Infinity, settling instead for repetition. After eight minutes, two things will be clear: you’ll never want to hear the word ‘rattlesnake’ ever again, and Stu Mackenzie’s guitar badly needs a tune.
Of course, those half-flats and semi-sharps are all intentional – these are the eponymous microtonals, and they’re wholly unwelcome additions to the Wiz’s ouvre, working far better on page than on record. Theoretically sound, yes; fun, no.
Things improve from there, with the doom-inflected tracks proving the high fliers (‘Open Water’, ‘Anoxia’ and ‘Doom City’), and the drum production is tastier than ever. But for Australia’s hardest-working musos, it’s too easy – the most damning thing that could be said for it is that it could never replace Nonagon for sheer live potential.
This banana won’t linger in your mind fuzz, but who knows: there’s probably a new King Gizz album coming out next week anyway.
Flying Microtonal Bananais out Friday February 24 through Flightless/Remote Control.
