FLYING MICROTONAL BANANA

The prolific Aussie jam band is experimenting with Middle Eastern microtonalism.

1. "Rattlesnake" (7:48) run-of-the-mill, straightforward lyrics-driven rock. (12/15)

2. "Melting" (5:27) hypnotic SANTANA-like music. A top three song. (8.75/10)

3. "Open Water" (7:13) interesting and engaging in a MOTORPSYCHO-kind of way. The insidious repetition runs the chance of boring me musically until the guitars cut out at the 4:15 mark and then a very interesting ADRIAN BELEW/TALKING HEADS section begins. Cool! My second top three song. (13.25/15)

4. "Sleep Drifter" (4:44) good modern psychedelic rock with some classic "Southern" rock chord structures and soundscapes. I like the pause and slow restart at 2:40?it really sets apart the microtonal inputs that everyone talks about. There's a little CAN-like Krautrock feel to this, as well. (8.5/10)

5. "Billabong Valley" (3:34) same CAN-like beat and pace from the previous song with the unusual singing voice of a female(?) The song slows down in the second half and then the presence of the zurna makes it interesting. (8.5/10)

6. "Anoxia" (3:04) Here the zurna feels like it's coming from its own separate universe while the pretty standard rock music supports the guitar-and-choral vocal approach the band used to use a lot back in 2014. (8.5/10)

7. "Doom City" (3:14) odd slow blues riff opens before it switches to New Wave-like rhythmic styling. Zurna and choir take the band down the slow blues riff for the choruses. Very strange! Stu's untreated voice, sung in the mid-range, sounds so unusual. (8.25/10)

8. "Nuclear Fusion" (4:15) Very interesting, curious, yet catchy soundscape and weave. A top three song for me. (8.75/10)

9. "Flying Microtonal Banana" (2:34) an instrumental with congos, djembe, and marimba with guitars and multiple tracks of zurna. Eventually they create a kind of chorus out of the chorus riff from Jesus Christ Superstar song "The Temple." Whereas the rest could come from PETER GABRIEL's Passion Sources. I have to say, when these guys choose to do instrumentals, they do them well. My favorite song on the album. (4.75/5)

Total Time 41:53

B/four stars; a nice excursion into KG&TLW's excursion into Middle Eastern-influenced psychedelia. Recommended for your own exploration--especially if you're into following this band's evolution.

This has been called their Krautrock album and it smokes! I just can't get over how consistently great this album is with no weak tracks or even moments for me unless you consider hearing "rattlesnake" a hundred times on the opener. This album is a mood changer as is "I'm In Your Mind Fuzz" and "Nonagon Infinity" the two GIZZARD albums I've reviewed before this one. There's a ton of energy here that makes it difficult to keep still and I'm okay with that. They use an instrument called a zurna that brings the Middle east to mind with it's shrill sound and it adds a lot to the mood here.

"Rattlesnake" opens with the wind blowing fairly hard before it kicks into this energetic assault to the senses. This is an 8 minute blast! The zurna comes in taking no prisoners before 5 minutes then more wind gusts. "Melting" is such an awesome track. Kind of jazzy with those softer but urgent vocals but check out the opening drums. And how about those distorted keyboards, so good! Great track! "Open Water" is a top three with those ethnic sounds but man such a groove with beats and bass all over it. The zurna rips in before 3 minutes then back to vocals. The fast paced vocals before 4 1/2 minutes are cool. This might be my number one or at least tied with the next track "Sleep Drifter" a track I felt stood out above the rest from the first spin but "Open Water" has since come close at least.

"Sleep Drifter" just sounds amazing with the picked guitar, beats and high pitched vocals to start out. But come on this just blows me away. A high energy top tapper. It's pretty cool when we get a calm and your thinking it's over but it slowly builds to an even groovier piece of music and I'm just bobbing to this like nobody's business. Check it out 4 minutes in. Love that guitar. "Billabong Valley" has these high pitched distorted vocals with piano and beats. The zurna replaces the vocals. So good! Back to the vocals as the piano rips it up. Love that bass giving us some depth and how about the drumming. I'm laughing here then a calm with picked guitar that builds with all but the vocals returning including the zurna. Vocals replace the zurna but they trade up some more.

"Anoxia" is a heavier sounding piece with some cool sounding guitar melodies that are replaced by the vocals. Nice bass and beats as usual. Lots of intricate microtonal sounds. "Doom City" opens with distortion and echoes before this motorik groove takes over. Krautrock 101 then the vocals come in fast paced. Sounds like a deranged harmonica after 2 minutes. "Nuclear Fusion" is my final top three but man every track is great. Deep processed vocals replace the drums then bass before we get that awesome sounding groove with vocals. Too catchy man. Swaying and swaying. Love the keys before 1 1/2 minutes and later before 2 minutes as it comes and goes. Again not fair how melodic this band is within high end compositions and sounds. This is my music. "Flying Microtonal Banana" ends it in a very exotic way with the zurna all over it but also ethnic strings and sounds. An instrumental to end it all.

My first 5 star GIZZARD album and so it's no surprise that it's their Krautrock record that hit that level first. The fireworks have been relentless here tonight on Canada Day I must say. Music is blasting outside but not over mine(haha).