King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard

I'm In Your Mind Fuzz

Written by: BV on 07/02/2015 17:35:23

I’ll gladly confess to not having been a fan of King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard in the past. Even though it is probably the most original and hilarious band name I have encountered in at least half a decade, their musical offerings have always seemed too scattered and incoherent for me to fully get into them. However, as a dear friend of mine suggested I’d give their recent album “I’m In Your Mind Fuzz” a go, I would be a poor friend to flat-out turn down his suggestion. And so I ventured into the strange being that is this album.

From the immediate get-go, album opener “I’m In Your Mind” delivers fully on what I’ve come to associate King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard with - an immediate outburst of maniacal energy which results in a veritable sensory explosion. I am, to this very moment, unsure of whether I like it or not. It has an inherent schizophrenic quality which pulls me back in, time and time again. Yet I am still not able to completely surrender myself to its groove. The devil-may-care attitude of this, and the following track, “I’m Not In Your Mind”, are somewhat reminiscent of the wildly hedonistic approach to songwriting which Pond frequently displays. It reeks of a child-like sense of wonder and curiosity which practically compels them to virtually throw every single thing they record into the mix – with wildly varying results. Take for instance the wildly rambunctious guitar solos which appear frequently on both tracks. On the former, it comes off as distracting and superfluous to me, whilst it becomes an essential part of the latter track when they make their way forward in the mix, as the latter is primarily instrumental anyway.

The weakest aspect of King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard is no doubt when they engage in mid-tempo or slow tracks as they can then no longer rely on their maniacal musical approach – immediately letting them come off as being fairly normal, in a sense. It has its own charm, really, but when being clashed with the maniacal outbursts that make up more than 50 percent of the record, it just makes for a wildly confusing ride of an album as the final product.

I’ll admit to King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard having evolved immensely since I last gave them a fair chance of dazzling me. Tracks like “I’m Not In Your Mind” or even the far out exploits of “Satan Speeds Up” are no longer flat out annoying, but charming in their own right. However, I am still not entirely on board with the concept. Maybe in a few albums’ time I’ll be more eager to actually seek them out for a gig or something. Time will tell.

7

Download: I’m In Your Mind, I’m Not In Your Mind, Satan Speeds Up
For the fans of: Pond, The Frowning Clouds, The Murlocs
Listen: Facebook

Release date 31.10.2014
Castle Face Records


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