FISHING FOR FISHIES

As always, King Gizzard tackle a certain genre or idea on each album, and this time it's boogie rock. Now, I don't know about you, but I can't really think of another album where every song has that distinctive boogie rock rhythm. But KGLW go one step beyond and make sure that every song is some kind of unique idea fused with this rhythm. In fact, I wouldn't blame anyone for not catching the overarching boogie rock theme (or at least not until a few songs in), that's how well it's been disguised at times. Okay, well, three tracks here have the word boogie in the title so that gives it a way a bit, but still. It's all very creative, and I think it warrants a song-by-song review.

"Fishing for Fishies" opens the album with a poppy take on boogie rock. This is a happy, infectious track with a great bassline (played by Cook Craig according to the album's credits). This was the first track I heard from this album and it made me think this was going to be a pop rock album. A very strong start to the album.

"Boogieman Sam" is a more straightforward boogie rocker, with a slower tempo (the title track is rather fast for a boogie rock isn't it?). It's the most traditional boogie rock on here.

"The Bird Song" is even poppier than "Fishies". Again, it's very creative how it technically still has the boogie rock rhythm, but it's so far removed from what you expect from a typical boogie rock song that I wouldn't be surprised if someone hadn't caught the theme by now. I like the psychedelic touches in this song (the dreamy harp and flutes), and this song really makes me wish KGLW would attempt a straightforward pop rock album some time. It's accessible, yet with more than enough interesting touches. A highlight for sure.

"Plastic Boogie" is a boogie in mostly 5/4, but aside from that is more straightforward boogie rock again. By this point the environmental issues the lyrics on this album deal with become more obvious.

"The Cruel Millennial' largely consists of a bar of 5/4 followed by a bar in 6/4. Kind of strange how they put the two songs with the most unconventional time signatures back-to-back, since they sound a bit similar following each other up. This is as good as time as any to mention that this album came about from the idea to have one album dedicated to each band member's taste. As far as I can tell this is the only album that (yet) came out of this, and apparently we have Ambrose Kenny-Smith to thank for this one. He sings on this track, and I have to say that I prefer Stu Mackenzie as a vocalist.

"Real's Not Real" has that distinctive loud King Gizzard sound. Again, it's a very original take on the boogie rocker.

"This Thing" is more poppy again, with flutes and harps and other dream-like touches. Harmonica provides the main hook here, which keeps it bluesy, and it might have the most prominent moment on the album where they diverge from the boogie rock rhythm. Another one of my favorite tracks on the album for sure.

"Acarine" is where the album gets dark. This is a proggy, exotic track that wouldn't feel too out of place on Polygondwanaland. I like how there's some harmonica that takes you back to the blues stylings of earlier tracks. The boogie rock rhythm is disguised well here, but going into it with the knowledge that this is a boogie rock album, it's easy to hear. Again, it's very creative what they did here. The second half of this track is in a synth/electronic style that ditches the rhythm, and is a bit of a prelude to the closing track.

"Cyboogie" is that closing track. Cyboogie is short for cyber boogie and that's what it sounds like. Once again, they do something unique with the concept of the boogie rock rhythm, if you'll forgive me for sounding like a broken record. I like how this track ends the album on a bit of a sinister tone, while it starts with the poppy title track. In fact, the whole album kind of slowly gets darker as it goes on.

TL;DR: King Gizzard successfully took the boogie rock rhythm and merged it with pop, psychedelia, electronic, KGLW-style loudness and exotic sinisterness. I think this quote from Stu Mackenzie sums it up better than I could: "We tried to make a blues record, a blues-boogie-shuffle-kinda-thing, but the songs kept fighting it ? or maybe it was us fighting them." It might not be the proggiest album of all time stylistically, but it sets up an original idea and delivers on it well, and that should be something prog fans should be able to appreciate regardless. I'd say give this album a listen.

Rating: 9/10

Highlight of the album: "The Bird Song"

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