Album Review: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Eyes Like The Sky

Boldly going where not many (if any) musicians have gone before, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard have taken on the daring task of creating a spaghetti Western audio book. The Melburnian psych-rockers teamed up with Broderick Smith of The Dingoes to brew up this unique creation titled Eyes Like The Sky.

Smith's deep, raspy vocals spin a tale of outlaws and crooks, the way of the land, honour and dishonour. As the story unfolds before you, the screech of dirty guitars and distant, swelling drums take you away to the badlands of the United States.

The sound of gunshots and gallops team up with the surfacing appearance of cymbal crashes and twangy guitars, and it's almost possible to see the barren landscapes and bright-coloured block letters of the credits appearing on a grainy screen in the album's title-sharing opener, Eyes Like The Sky. The Raid comes in like a runaway train, and that first taste of chaos is introduced. Drum Run keeps the chaos rolling, erratic piano keys sounding atop an unsettling mixture of fast drumming and the harsh whistles of a steam train. Gunshots & Horses wraps up the story in slow, drudging guitar swirls and drumbeats that paint a portrait of a surly cowboy riding off into the sunset.

King Gizzard's cautious musicianship serves them well; the pace of the album plays a crucial role in the storytelling. More than just an audio book, Eyes Like The Sky sees the narrative mingle perfectly with the instrumentation, creating a world you can almost see.