TV Obsessive
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard “Honey”
Bryan: Well I guess it was only a matter of time. After releasing two full-length albums in 2019 and a whopping five albums in 2017, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard has released its first new song of 2020. To their credit, they have released two films and a number of live albums so far this year. So it’s not like they’ve been slacking or anything.
The new song is called “Honey,” and it was released July 14, along with an accompanying video in which lead singer and guitarist Stu Mackenzie is playing an acoustic microtonal guitar in many (socially distant) locations.
Coming off the band’s most recent album, Infest the Rats’ Nest, which was an all-thrash-metal concept album, “Honey” appears to be returning to earlier King Gizzard albums such as 2015’s Paper Mâché Dream Balloon and 2017’s Flying Microtonal Banana (which was all recorded using microtonal tuning). At first the song comes off as a chill acoustic tune, with eerie harmonica in the background like a sunrise. But then it picks up steam, turning into one of those classic King Gizzard grooves, with a thumping bass line, some flute, and harmonica.
Mackenzie said on Twitter that he wrote the song a couple of years ago. But I don’t for a second think this is just an old song they decided to release for fun. I fully anticipate that an album will be following at some point this year.
For one, “Honey” ends with what sounds like a lead-in to another song. Flying Microtonal Banana is subtitled as Explorations into Microtonal Tuning, Volume 1. Could Volume 2 be on the way? I’m not sure about that, but I am pretty confident we will get at least one new King Gizzard album before the year is over. And honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if we get more than one.
