I'M IN YOUR MIND FUZZ

While King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard are known for the various genres and styles that they've taken on, it's generally I'm In Your Mind Fuzz that's considered the band's first truly great album where their style and sound was realised. This is a statement I completely agree with, as while the band had a few good tracks beforehand, this album is consistent in its quality, while also being one of the more eclectic albums in their career, having a decent mix of faster garage and krautrock influence, while also knowing when to tone down the energy to allow for some slower, prettier moments. With the fact that this is what I consider to be the true star of the band's core sound, it's about what you could expect from later albums to some degree, with a prominent focus on jamming and repetition shining through, but as is usually the case for the band, these qualities are utilised to a great degree of quality.

As is often the norm with these albums, it really starts off with a bang, this case in the form of an energetic 4-part suite that is what I consider to be one of the most representative of heavier side of the band as a whole, with kraurock inspired drumming backed up by rowdy garage rock and a whole lot of harmonica. I love the way this song is divided up so smoothly, transitions feeling absolutely perfect in relation to the structure of the song, especially the transition into the 3 minute guitar solo of I'm Not In Your Mind, a solo which I consider to be extremely fun to listen to, especially since the pace never drops for even a second thanks to that very consistent rhythm section. I love how the suite eventually comes around full circle on the final part of it to really hammer home the feeling of these first 4 tracks being one big song, especially since it does so much right, overall making this a go to song for me. Empty is a good way to follow up such an energetic song, being far more melodic and accessible, the flutes adding a nice layer of depth to everything, but I still do find it to likely be the weakest link here, getting a bit repetitive by the end. I feel that this would be more problematic if not for how the outro feels as if it is slowly collapsing in on itself, almost sounding as if some sort of tape recording is being worn out and coming to an untimely halt, which really nicely transitions into another quieter track. Hot Water is likely another one of the tracks I consider to be on the weaker side on the album, but that's only because there are some true masterpieces to be found here, and the relatively quick, consistent pace here is welcome as always.

Am I In Heaven? is one of the true stars of the show however, likely being King Gizzard at their most furiously noisy and wild, the opening acoustic opening quickly shifting into a wall of distortion with some yells being heard amongst the thunderous guitar and the equally intense drumming, despite the pinpoint consistency that it holds for the most part. This song just feels like a nonstop thrill ride and definitely is one of the songs that warrants this album being held in such regard by me, as it manages to progress nicely without sacrificing any of the insanity put on display to creat a truly infectious song that amazes me every time I put it on. The incredible constrast between this song and the 2 slow jams at the end of the album further solidify my love for the album, acting as both a great calm down period after such a massive high, and also for being as darn beautiful as they are, the melodies being absolutely amazing. Slow Jam 2 (Her and I) is able to end this album absolutely perfectly, containing the same verses multiple times, but having the fact be negligible with the way each repetition sounds more powerful and heartfelt than the last to the point where breathtaking doesn't even begin to describe the song. This song is undoubtedly what I consider to be the pinnacle of the band's slower, prettier work for how sincere and pure it sounds in its melody and lyricism without sacrificing the compelling instrumentation of the band.

Overall, this is definitely one of my favourite albums by a band who has a number of exceptional albums, having a great mix of energy and beauty while never letting one side of their sound to be the dominant force. Of course this would all mean nothing if the songs weren't well written, but this is definitely some of their best songwriting coming through as well, with almost half an hour of material that I'd consider an absolute masterpiece, and the rest being full of great stuff as well. I know that this is the album that made a lot of people fall in love with King Gizz, and I cannot blame them for a second, because this is some seriously great music.

Best tracks: I'm In Your Mind Fuzz suite, Am I In Heaven?, Slow Jam 2 (Her and I)

Weakest tracks: Empty

Verdict: I cannot think of a better starting point to get into the fuzzy, psychedelic world of King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, containing a great balance of their various core sounds while also containing a handful of the band's absolute best songs. Definitely an album I'll heavily recommend to those who like garage or psychedelic rock, because this is without a doubt a great album in my mind.

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