King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Made In Timeland and Laminated Denim
morning folks! this week we’re taking a break from the regular schedule to try and catch some recent (and a few not recent) releases that have slipped by me on the normal review pace. the main target today is KGLW release number two for October, Laminated Denim, but before that, i figured i had a gap in this discography that i no longer have any excuse for! Laminated Denim is a sequel (and anagram!) of an album put out as a vinyl-only release earlier this year, Made In Timeland. with Laminated Denim‘s release however, it’s been set free on the web! and both records have the same structure – two 15 minute tracks, so i figure, why not review them together as a nod to Quarters!, right? let’s get to it!
Timeland has such a mellow opening – very chill almost bell rings and humms for like a full two minutes. ngl the build into the heavy synths that almost immediately drops away is kind of strange. the section starting around the 6 minute mark feels very fun, and it is neat how it shifts pretty seamlessly through to the next segment… which is true of a lot of the segment boundaries on this track, and impressive given the range of styles on the song. that being said, this feels more like a quick foray than a proper exploration – i kinda wish they spent more time with each segment before transitioning out. i can kinda read it as like, a broad look over many different time periods, which is neat, but not something i find super engaging or fun to listen to. Smoke & Mirrors is the back half of this record. fucking banger start here. the more mellow sound the opening movement shifts into is really nice as well. the vocal chunk here (and at the end of the track) is very funny in a post-Omnium Gatherum world, and its very clearly the seed of what would become Sister Sadie and The Grim Reaper. the second half of this is v pleasant, at least up until the 11 minute mark where it transitions into the electronic vibes that Timeland had a bit of (not that its bad, just not the same kind of driftingly pleasant vibe before or after it, haha).
faves –
dislikes –
aight i think its important that there’s some context here – Made In Timeland began life as intermission music, and was constructed by combining smaller chunks of music together into one longer track. i feel like a lot of what i find lacking is a natural outgrowth of that origin. and its by no means bad – most of this record is a very pleasant listen, i just dont really have a ton i engage with very deeply here. they can’t all be winners!
Made In Timeland – 4/10
and with that, let’s check out Laminated Denim!
The Land Before Timeland starts real strong – those soft guitars and vocals, that lil taste of harmonica, all in that gradual build of intensity as more of the band kicks in. i appreciate how they riff on that kinda vibe through the majority of the track – this bright sunshiney vibe is great for little pockets of jamming to shine though as each instrument steps in. the shift at 12 minutes to a dark mood is interesting, since it feels like a fairly natural continuation, but it is a pretty sharp change. and the refrain being repeated but in a warped way is great. very fun jam of a track. Hypertension opens with a short little transition out of the back end of The Land Before Timeland, and then by the minute mark opens up and floors it. that chunk between the first and second chorus (and a little after) just rock real hard. im a huge fan. the rest of the track doesnt disappoint, but that part is just :chefskiss: the kind of back off and then slow build back up to the crest just before the twelve minute mark is incredibly effective, and then they do it in miniature in the last 3 minutes, haha. very fun.
faves – Hypertension
dislikes –
yeah man i had a much better experience here than with Made In Timeland. the experience is tighter both musically and thematically, and i find the ways they explore each track’s moods much more engaging.
i really like how the tracks here feel like a strongly continuous experience, and feel like a natural pair to each other. im not always huge on the like, 10 minute+ tracks, but i feel like the package here is a very strong experience over its runtime.
Laminated Denim – 8/10
and that wraps up this week’s little catch up exercise! thanks for sticking with me through this, next week we are returning to our regular cadence of reviews with DOOM’s Born Like This on Monday, The Selecter’s Too Much Pressure on Wednesday, and for next week’s weekly suggested record, it’s gonna be Hank Williams III’s Lovesick, Broke, and Driftin’. i’ll be back next Friday, October 28th with that review, and in the meantime, let me know what album you’d like me to review! (i pool all suggestions in one place, and draw a person, then a pick from that person, so feel free to drop as many as you’d like! if you leave an email or username i’ll contact you when i’ve gotten through all your suggestions.)
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