King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Changes
morning folks! this week we’re taking a break from the regular schedule for a quick detour – when reviewing Petrodragonic Apocalypse, i realized i had missed the last of the Gizztober releases from last year – Changes. this record was originally intended to be a part of the 2017 cycle, but was delayed, and finally released with the 2022 records. the premise here is that each song after the first is built out of a piece of that first track, though i’ll admit up front that it’s a part of the record i have a hard time identifying. let’s check it out!
Change is kinda the tentpole of the record – each band member that has done vocals takes a turn here, and this song has a ton of different phases and sections over its 17 minutes. its sprawling and meandering. i dig it, but ngl i tend to be hard to impress with songs that break 7 or 8 minutes and while i enjoy this one it’s not one i’ll be coming back to frequently, personally. Hate Dancin’ was the lead single off this record, and damn is it good. you’d think the repeated confirmations of his relationship with dancing would get old but it works v well for me. Astroturf is a lot of fun – kinda strange and funky. No Body seems to kinda float by me – which is strange, there’s some real classic rock guide solo’ing going on here that’s v fun. Gondii might be my favorite song off the record – discussing Toxoplasma Gondii, the germ that infects our brain and (supposedly) makes us more receptive to cats, this one’s fun, with a bit of a darker tone that still feels like they’re having fun with it. wild to me that Exploding Suns was from the original record sessions for this album in 2017 – and not just the idea for the song, this is the recording from back then, haha. its a lot lower energy – pleasant but not a big one for me. Short Change closes out the record, trying to tie it all together.
faves – Hate Dancin’, Gondii
dislikes –
despite the intro and centerpiece here not entering my list of top Gizz songs, i do wanna emphasize that it is still a v good song, and i really like how they spend the rest of the record picking it apart and exploring it. there’s some phenomenal work on display here, it’s just that it doesn’t always connect with me.
Changes – 7/10
next week, we’re starting a new discography review with Rosie Tucker, so check back in for that!
first: Willoughby’s Beach | previous: Made in Timeland and Laminated Denim | next: Petrodragonic Apocalypse
all my reviews for King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
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