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Feb 22, 2017 King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard By Cody Ray Shafer

Psychedelic indie rock outfit King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard have already released eight records since their 2012 debut. Last year’s Nonagon Infinity was an introduction for many to their infectious sound; pounding rhythm guitars and hyper-surreal lyrics and imagery. They’re not afraid of resorting to gimmicks, either. Nonagon Infinity, for instance, effectively tackled its cerebral themes by revisiting hypnotic riffs and melodies in a theoretical infinite loop.

Another gimmick; the band intends on releasing five total records in 2017, and Flying Microtonal Banana is merely the first. For it, the band explored Eastern-influenced microtonal harmonies, but thankfully the record doesn’t rely too heavily on replicating cultural sounds. Flying Microtonal Banana is a rock album drawing from a more nuanced tonal palate. It’s a serious ask; why did western music abandon this complex tapestry of notes in favor of comfortable simplicity?

But look, my favorite part about this album, and what draws me to listening to King Gizzard so much these days, is this raw energy put to tremendously good use. Sure, lots of bands can pump out high octane indie rock numbers, but they burn out so fast, and rarely have the sort of inscrutable power that King Gizzard is apparently immune to depleting. At least, not at this point. We’ll check in again in 2018. (http://www.kinggizzardandthelizardwizard.com)

Author rating: 6.5/10