King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Paper Mache Dream Balloon (From the Vault)
hey folks, welcome to some discography reviews. i’ve been writing music reviews for some friends in a discord server for a few years now in various forms, but i figured i’d like to get them all in a more centralized space, so here we are! this first series of reviews is a review of King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard’s discography, starting in 2011 with Willoughby’s Beach and running right into 2021 with Butterfly 3000. this review was originally written in August 2021.
welcome back y’all, we’re checking out Paper Mache Dream Balloon, their almost entirely acoustic album, released in late 2015. neat!
aight! Sense is a track that was on a friend’s playlist that introduced me to the band, and interestingly they used this track to close the playlist (to good effect). At the time, i really enjoyed the chill vibe the track served, and it was just shy of my favorite tracks on the list. i still really dig this track, found myself singing it to myself over the last few days. yo Bone slaps too. what a delightful song with such grim lyrics. love the flutes and winds they bring in. this one’s great. i got no probs with Dirt. interesting lyrics but not super engaged in the music. Paper Mache Dream Balloon has a nice, dreamy, fitting opening, but right during the chorus this song takes off and is so good. the harmonica on this track is great, and, full dipshit energy here, what’s the instrument that makes that neat whine around 1:18 and 1:48? its good. Trapdoor was also really good. was it a sax doing that solo in the middle of the track? i’m out here attempting to review music, why cant i recognize instruments??? either way this track kept getting caught in my brain too. Cold Cadaver, like Bone, is another really bright, catchy, dreaming track with some grim as hell lyrics. The Bitter Boogie’s got an excellent beat and rhythm, and oooooh that harmonica. i like the kinda weird soft reset in the middle, and you know im digging the western vibes on this one. Genius claims N.G.R.I. (Bloodstain) comes from Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity, which makes it a little grimmer than i original thought, but shit they are great at making something dark into a real catchy hook with some light vibes. Time = Fate is nice, again interesting lyrics but not a song that hooks me. got MAD Ween vibes from Time = $$$, which i mean extremely favorably. Probably in my top half of tracks on the album but not quite in the top bunch. Most of What I Like is uh… a whole trip and a half. the intro to Paper Mache is nice and soft, very pleasant and a nice way to begin the end, but honestly some of the electrical sounds and sonic distortion at the end is, well, like waking up from a dream.
faves – Sense, Bone, Paper Mache Dream Balloon, The Bitter Boogie
dislikes –
man, i really dug this album a lot. it’s got EXCELLENT, dreamy surreal vibes throughout that match what i was expecting from title and cover, matched with the title track, just an excellent thematic whole. i felt the sequencing was solid, there was a really good variety of sound and energy as the album developed, and i just had a great time, haha. what a great fever dream.
Paper Mache Dream Balloon – 8/10
next we’re gonna be covering Nonagon Infinity!
support the band by buying this record on Bandcamp
first: Willoughby’s Beach | previous: Quarters! | next: Nonagon Infinity
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