It’s a bit difficult to believe that King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard‘s Float Along – Fill Your Lungs is seven years old as I write this because it sounds like they could’ve released it yesterday. It mixes psychedelia with bluesy grooves and does so without effort.
They’re also one of the few bands out there who would dare to make the opening track on an album almost sixteen minutes long, and one of the few who can pull off such a feat. That song is “Head On / Pill.” Lead singer Stuart Mackenzie‘s vocals are trippier than a lava lamp and the addition of panning sitar is outstanding. The song builds into a wild jam with vocal chants and guitar chords that swirl like a dust devil working its way up to becoming a full-blown dust storm.
“I Am Not a Man Unless I Have a Woman” is layered with a lot of cool reverb and echoed vocal effects to keep the mind melt going. “God Is Calling Me Back Home” puts acoustic guitars in the front and makes the vocals sound like they’re coming out of an old radio before it turns into a wild freakout.
“30 Past 7” brings back the sitar and it blends well with guitar riffs that sound like eagle calls echoing over an Australian desert. “Let Me Mend the Past” is a favorite at their live shows as Ambrose Kenny Smith takes over lead vocals with a passioned plea for an angry lover to forgive him. The sweaty, gritty guitars and beats and somewhat goth lyrics (i.e., “I hope I don’t wake up.”) of “Mystery Jack” are the kinds of things Anton Newcombe dreams about while strolling to a German coffee house and taking a drag on a clove cigarette. Smith sings lead on “Pop in My Step,” which is a poppy and snappy as you hope it will be. The title track ends the record on a meditative, trippy note.
It’s one of their best records, really. It blends psychedelic rock, blues, microtonal bits, and Eastern Indian music into a heady brew that leaves you feeling pretty cool after you’ve consumed it.
Keep your mind open.
[Float on over to the subscription box while you’re here.]
