POSTCARD ELBA

Few artists these days have put out more records in such a short amount of time as King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. Seventeen in just nine years. So it’s no surprise their latest work, KG & LW, is a pair of companion records released just a few months apart. This group from Melbourne have dipped their magical reptilian toes into a variety of interchanging genres, from soft jazz to heavy metal. But what they’re really known for is their particular brand of high energy, psychedelic rock. And these records dive head first into that weird, funky trip, with a stop here and there at a dance party, or stuck in some stoner sludge. Much of the songwriting borrows heavily from Turkish, Middle-Eastern, and Indian styles. Percussion and sitar play an integral part, as well as keys and synths. With fantastical imagery and just plain language, lyrically, these Aussies tend to freak out on many of the social issues, and institutions that cause most of our problems: the media, the climate, the church, the pandemic, and so on. One track leads into another, which leads into another, with barely a breath in between for most of both albums. Kind of feels like an endurance test. Never mind all the Z’s in this band’s name, because you’re not gonna sleep on K.G.L.W.