OMNIUM GATHERUM

We're not even a third of the way through the year and King Gizz is releasing its second album of the year--and it's rumored that a total of five are due to be released this year! Well, if it's all happy music like this one, I for one welcome it!

LP 1 (40:21) 1. "The Dripping Tap" (18:17) the first 75 seconds of this sound as if the lead singer of ARCADE FIRE were singing karaoke over an instrumental version of some AL GREEN lounge song. But then the band takes a quick turn to convert to rip-roaring rock with that punk rock on speed drumming plowing through to mark the way. Multiple guitars and synths, even vocals, try to express their joy and excitement in a kind of ALLMAN BROTHERS way, jamming over Robo-Jaki (LIEBEZEIT)'s frenzied metronomic drum play. At 6:25 the Win Butler heavily-treated voice returns over a bit of a break from the instruments (they're just sipping from their drinks, toking from their bongs) but then they're all off to the races for round two. In the 12th-minute there is another brief lull from the instruments during which a chorus of vocalists organize themselves around a chant of "Drip drip from the tap, don't slip" which then goes on for a good three minutes before a swell of guitars breaks it off. Then a relative quiet of the lead instruments allows another vocal section before everyone is unleashed yet one more time for a display of frenetic passion. The final minute sees a recapitulation of the opening section only with the full rhythm section in rapid support. A good song if you're into these jam songs--if you like listening to the passionate solos of a variety of instrumentalists. (I, however, am no longer one of these.) (35/40) 2. "Magenta Mountain" (6:05) a bit of a THE FLAMING LIPS feel to this. Nice bass sound and b vox. (8.5/10)

3. "Kepler-22B" (3:13) a very catchy, groovin' R&B tune that makes me think that Tame Impala might have merged with Durand Jones & The Indications. One of my favorite KG&tLW songs of all-time. (9.5/10)

4. "Gaia" (5:11) a monstrously heavy beast, chugging along as if it were a djenty metal song. Even the vocal approach is right in line with the growl vocalists of those genres, all in the attempt at presenting our planet's persona from a testosterone-driven male perspective (which is an interesting prospect in and of itself). If tongue-in-cheek, it's hilarious; if serious, it saddens me. The band is certainly branching out into new territory with this one. (8.5/10)

5. "Ambergris" (4:27) another gentle, romantic R&B-like slow-dance groove with some awesome EW&Fire-like group vocals and wonderfully playful bass play and an awesome little microtonal guitar solo--so sexy! (9/10)

6. "Sadie Sorceress" (3:08) with a beat like a1990s Hip Hop classic, the boys take on the territory of the sacrosanct BEASTIE BOYS and do quite an admirable job of it as they do (though once again I hear much more of JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE's voice and rap style). (8.75/10)

LP 2 (39:59) 7. Evilest Man" (7:39) sequenced percussive computer notes are intermixed with the boys' full-on jam ensemble before clearing out for the Fender Rhodes chords that support a solo voce vocal performance that sounds like it comes from the 1970s. (13/15)

8. "The Garden Goblin" (2:57) a song that sounds so straight out of the psychedelic 1960s London Scene--until, that is, the synth solos. Everytime the vocal choir sings I picture The Buckinghams or The Lovin' Spoonful up on stage in Top of the Pops. (8.5/10)

9. "Blame It on the Weather" (2:31) feels like a continuation of the previous song (same instrumental sound palette and effected choral-vocals). Nice guitar durning the choral chorus. (8.25/10)

10. "Persistence" (3:48) another song that could've come from the cutting floor of a Justin Timberlake recording session in the 2000s. Nice early Tony Levin ChapmanStick-like bass line. (8.25/10)

11. "The Grim Reaper" (3:06) harpsichord and bass open before rap rhythm track takes the fore and the group rap takes over. The overall vocal tone sounds almost like Alvin and the Chipmunks. The intent of this might be more clear if I were into lyrics. The music is okay. (8.5/10)

12. "Presumptuous" (4:53) another song that sounds like (could very well be) a tongue-in-cheek Justin Timberlake parody. It's actually quite well done--has a great melody line, vocal performance and, when the full band joins in (about halfway in) nice overall groove and sound--a bit of SANTANA being channelled in the instrumental second half (some of it quite obviously intentional). (8.75/10)

13. "Predator X" (3:46) another foray into the realm of metal music. It just feels wrong--half-hearted and thus, tongue-in-cheek. I don't think this is a direction the band should continue pursuing. (8/10)

14. "Red Smoke" (4:22) I don't which band member is the voice of these teenage Arcade Fire vocal performances but he has my permission to try another shtick. (7.75/10)

15. "Candles" (4:34) pretty sound palette and arpeggiated chords to open before a "Shaft" cymbal-play signals a shift into another gear. The dreamy choral repetition of the word "Candles" is funny in a The Lonely Island kind of way. Sounds 1960s French while, of course, coming from a 21st Century perspective, thus, funnier than hell. (9/10)

16. "The Funeral" (2:23) a nice continuation of the sound and style of the previous song. (4.5/5)

Total Time 80:00

Whichever reviewers called this a "smorgasborg" of the band's new "greatest hits," they were spot on. I do not think that, overall, this album stands up to most of the songs on Changes or Laminated Denim's "Hypertension" or most of the stuff on Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms, & Lava. Also, I don't know if it is the expressed or subversive intent of the band to make fun of old musical styles and artists, but it sure seems so--and would gain points for successful attempts at humor if it were so.

B/four stars; a very nice addition to any prog lover's music collection--especially if you like upbeat, tongue-in-cheek parodies of older musical styles--rated up for volume, quality, and variety.