King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard didn’t wait long to put their imprint on 2021. Following last November’s release of K.G., the Melbourne music mavens have teased their new project fittingly titled L.W. with their brand new single “O.N.E.” and accompanying music video directed by Alex McLaren and shot by band member Ambrose Kenny-Smith.
“O.N.E.,” ironically listed as track two on their forthcoming album, follows their last single “If Not Now, Then When?” in both dates of release and tracklist. The prolific six-piece known for their improvisational jamming continues to fuse genres as “O.N.E.” clicks open to a peaceful, harmonic introduction and transitions quickly into a psychedelic rock song blended with their known Middle Eastern flare.
Toying back and forth between eclectic electric keys lines and overdriven guitar stretches, a sparkling sitar joins the fray echoing the vocal melody. If electric keys weren’t enough, Wurlitzer and synthesizers also show their teeth, and if sitar wasn’t diverse enough, flute and marimba suspend themselves throughout.
The lyrics, equally as heavy as Joey Walker’s guitar solo, speak of humankind’s innate ability to overuse and overproduce everything we can get our paws on. This exploit and advance attitude is part of what inspired McLaren when creating the video.
“I felt the mix of stop motion and collage through the use of found imagery and the band would help compliment the tracks, lyrics, and themes as I interpreted them,” said McLaren. “Of dreams, nightmares, climate change, dystopias, and utopias, as well as referencing events that took place during the making of the video over 2020.”
L.W., described as “a standalone work and a companion piece to 2020 predecessor K.G.,” will land as the Aussie’s seventeenth record expected February 26, 2021.
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