Oddments [LP][Purple]

Oddments is the album where King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard start to come into their own as a concept and a band. After making cranked-up garage rock records, spaghetti western soundtracks, and records where they sound like they were trying on styles as easily as one might try on new socks, this is where all the genres and effects start to blend together into a sound that is King Gizzard's alone. At times, it tips alarmingly in the direction of lo-fi production, and there are a few songs that are almost throwaways (like the silly "Hot Wax"), but the overall feel is more relaxed and confident as it blends garage rock, psychedelic, and left-of-the-dial pop into a heady, unmistakable blend. Tracks like the soft-focus psych ballad "Stressin'," or the trippy folk-rock "Crying," have an easy confidence that allows the band to play calmly and still transmit the same energy as their crazed garage tracks. There are a couple of those here and they sound even more unhinged than past efforts, especially the 17-second-long "ABABCd." They also stretch their sound in interesting directions, like on "Alluda Majaka," which kicks the record off with some groovy Bollywood-inspired jamming. The only thing lacking from the record is higher production values, but that's not enough to ruin the experience, and this is the most interesting of the band's early albums. ~ Tim Sendra