There’s little that King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard haven’t already done. A truly inexhaustible fountain of ideas seems to spring eternally from the ground in Australia. With Phantom Island (p(doom)), they’ve now released their first album featuring orchestral support.
But don’t imagine it like Metallica’s experiment back in the day. There’s no bombast or overwhelming force here. The orchestra stays rather subtle, often receding into the background and contributing an overall laid-back vibe.
Just like the album as a whole, which is predominantly smooth. Of course, a thousand ideas do occasionally stir things up a bit. The opening title track, for instance, slips into a frenzy after a relaxed start.
Still, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard manage to shine in their uniquely brilliant way—no one else churns out such wonderful tracks like “Spacesick.” They’re like good mates just having a great time, simply happy to be making music.
Glimmering moments are everywhere, pleasantly wrapped in a ’60s rock aesthetic. The yacht rock touches—like those on “Silent Spirit”—don’t feel out of place. The path toward cheesiness is certainly there, but King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard would dance and sing their way down it, making it cool again.
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Phantom Island: An orchestral album without the bombast. – RIFL