King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Phantom Island POLL

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all right, so this is my album of the year, and the purpose of this poll is to maybe garner a little more interest in it, as ilm doesn't seem to be a super kg&lw-enthusiastic place. for point of entry i'd say it's prog pop rock with dense orchestration and existential, psychedelic and quasi-spiritual lyrics. people bring up zappa and the dead but i wouldn't know how accurate those points of comparisons are as i haven't really listened to them. really it's this big, heartfelt odyssey about missing loved ones and about being away from home. where "home" is both a literal place and a state of mind. a lot of people seem to like this band for their motorik-garage-psych. that isn't really here, what we get instead is this gorgeously orchestrated, densely lyrical, plaintive cry across the cosmos, not too far away, both subject-matter-wise and sound-wise, from judee sill. "sea of doubt" is a disarmingly simple song about finding one's way out of depression that i find to be on par with "the kiss" - though it ends in a much happier place. i think the lyrics on this thing are just electrifying and heart-rending all around. if it isn't apparent, i'm smitten with this band and this release and if you're a fan at all of music that reaches for the stars, it's worth a listen or two. i think i have to vote for "sea of doubt" for literally being my soundtrack to the sun coming out after the rain. although "phantom island" is a stunning multi-part opener, "Spacesick" is glowy-transcendent with a very singable chorus, and "Aerodynamic" and "Silent Spirit" are deeply moving. https://kinggizzard.bandcamp.com/album/phantom-island

Poll Results

OptionVotes
Sea of Doubt 2
Deadstick 1
Lonely Cosmos 1
Silent Spirit 1
Pansych 1
Aerodynamic 1
Phantom Island 0
Spacesick 0
Eternal Return 0
Grow Wings and Fly 0


she freaks, she speaks (map), Friday, 10 October 2025 03:16 (one month ago)

Lonely Cosmos is where I really started to realize the album was special so maybe that one...I think its got the best orchestration at least...but does Eternal Return count with it??

frogbs, Friday, 10 October 2025 03:51 (one month ago)

I mean obviously not just saying if it did that would def be #1

frogbs, Friday, 10 October 2025 03:52 (one month ago)

Fucking awesome album!

Again, thanks map for the opportunity to relisten to this like a beast in comign days. Given my walkman situation I play all my albums as a single file so I don't actually know most of these songs by name yet. But I do know that, much as I may love Side A, Side B is always where they really start tugging at them old heart strings.

TheNuNuNu, Friday, 10 October 2025 05:06 (one month ago)

Kneejerk reaction says Grow Wings and Fly, but we'll see! The song that goes "soft and subtle" is also way up there.

TheNuNuNu, Friday, 10 October 2025 05:07 (one month ago)

Holy hell, this title track... so wonderful. The vocals are infectious as can be.

TheNuNuNu, Friday, 10 October 2025 07:21 (one month ago)

Man, I need to listen to this again to make my pick. I'm thinking like six candidates off the top of my head.

better than ezra collective soul asylum (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Friday, 10 October 2025 14:19 (one month ago)

love to see the enthusiasm :). and strongly relate to kneejerk reaction to vote for 'grow wings and fly', it's so cathartic. one thing i love about it, among so many, is the last minute or so, where it just kind of drifts into a soft-focus haze, but in an exciting and intentional kind of way. with a lot of bands i could see my reaction to that being "ok, song's over, wrap it up" but with this one i don't want it to end. such a lovely way to end the album.

the "lonely cosmos" -> "eternal return" sequence is definitely the album at it's most psychedelic. the strings get wild. and then there's the p-funk stuff in "eternal return" with stu's sax playing lol. there really are at least six i could vote for, like jon says. so many amazing lyrical moments. "silent spirit" with that amazing opening line sequence:

Woo!
Yeah, yeah, yeah
And to my loved ones
Who navigate the currents of life
And who, occasionally or regularly
Feel rudderless in the river
In this long night, there is no end
Deep dominion, father, be my friend
I stand on the shoulders of mothers long dead
Singing their stories

she freaks, she speaks (map), Friday, 10 October 2025 15:16 (one month ago)

just saw that they recently added a second orchestral show here so i'm going to see them play this in december

ufo, Tuesday, 14 October 2025 00:43 (three weeks ago)

voted for "pansych"

some dude, Tuesday, 14 October 2025 01:24 (three weeks ago)

Still can't decide.

TheNuNuNu, Sunday, 19 October 2025 04:27 (three weeks ago)

I thought I had it narrowed down to "well, at least I know it isn't Deadstick", but Deadstick has been stuck in my head since morning, so what do I know...

TheNuNuNu, Sunday, 19 October 2025 04:43 (three weeks ago)

its shamelessly catchy aint it

frogbs, Sunday, 19 October 2025 04:56 (three weeks ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

System, Wednesday, 22 October 2025 00:01 (two weeks ago)

voted for "pansych"

― some dude, Tuesday, October 14, 2025 2:24 AM (one week ago) bookmarkflaglink

i've been really loving pansych lately. it's a huge goofy kaleidoscopic cosmic rush basically.

she freaks, she speaks (map), Wednesday, 22 October 2025 00:48 (two weeks ago)

i love "deadstick" too.

she freaks, she speaks (map), Wednesday, 22 October 2025 01:30 (two weeks ago)

Shoot, deadline? Okay, buckling down.

TheNuNuNu, Wednesday, 22 October 2025 02:47 (two weeks ago)

Great, narrowed it down to...... six.

With a predictably Side B-skewed ratio: 2 on Side A, 4 on Side B.

TheNuNuNu, Wednesday, 22 October 2025 04:19 (two weeks ago)

Deadstick would make a great Little Caesar's jingle if it was called "Breadstick" instead

frogbs, Wednesday, 22 October 2025 04:24 (two weeks ago)

i can't believe we ate it and survived!

she freaks, she speaks (map), Wednesday, 22 October 2025 18:52 (two weeks ago)

I managed to get it down to *four* I would be equally happy voting for. Aerodynamic took it, for its riff.

TheNuNuNu, Wednesday, 22 October 2025 23:05 (two weeks ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

System, Thursday, 23 October 2025 00:01 (two weeks ago)

that's a good spread!

she freaks, she speaks (map), Thursday, 23 October 2025 00:46 (two weeks ago)

i ended up going for 'sea of doubt' btw.

she freaks, she speaks (map), Thursday, 23 October 2025 00:55 (two weeks ago)


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