After debuting with records that were a cross between a crazed garage rock band and a trippy band of psychedelic warriors, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard's third album, Eyes Like the Sky, was a total change of pace. The band worked with singer (and father of the groups' harmonica and keyboard player Ambrose Kenny-Smith) Broderick Smith to craft what they called a Western audio book. In a suitably grizzled voice, Smith narrated a tale of guns, murder, and the American frontier while the band backed him in rambling spaghetti western style. It's a good pairing -- Smith's vocal carries real gravitas and the band convincingly whip up clouds of dust and sweat behind him. Guitarists Stu Mackenzie, Cook Craig, and Joey Walker do an especially fine job of creating atmosphere. Morricone would have been proud of their efforts. The story itself is harsh and powerful, telling a tale that's been heard before, but the music makes it sound fresh. It's perhaps not a vital piece in the kaleidoscopic puzzle that is the King Gizzard catalog, but it's good for a listen or two. ~ Tim Sendra
- Genre: Pop
- Format: Vinyl