It is miraculous how, even after 15 years and 26 albums into their career, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard still maintain an element of surprise. The Australian genre-morphing outfit has proven to be far more than the jam bands they were once compared to, compiling a colorful catalog that never ceases to sonically shift with blinding proficiency. From the psych-rock that got them launched into the modern rock pantheon to deep explorations into searing doom metal, King Gizzard has seemingly entered and conquered the litany of subgenres rock has to offer. Now, for their 27th studio release, the band looks to a more grand, regal, and daring area of music: The orchestra. Phantom Island, set for release on June 13, is a collection of ten spellbinding, orchestral examples of a veteran band continuing to explore the limits of their creativity.
The tracklist for Phantom Island is composed of songs that were initially written for King Gizzard’s 2024 LP. Flight b741, but the band decided these tunes didn’t fit the loose country-rock vibe of the album. Rather than let these ideas fall on the cutting room floor, the band called upon composer, keyboardist, and conductor Chad Kelly, who wrote full orchestra arrangements for Gizzard’s rough drafts. The results are a sweeping, jazz-inspired cacophony of horns that startle yet please like a melodic car horn, vocals that carry the weight of whimsy, and funky performances that inject adrenaline directly into your spirit. In typical King Gizzard fashion, this is the band as you have never heard them before, maintaining their beloved air of mystique while simultaneously revealing another layer of their artistic ambition.
This is not one of the high-concept LPs for which King Gizzard has become synonymous. Like an older adult being softened by a new puppy, Gizzard is replacing their towering concepts with a lighthearted, vulnerable, expansive set of songs that are as jovial as they are expertly crafted. There is a looseness to Phantom Island that is simply irresistible, as if this island, the album is titled after, is a physical, tropical place you can escape to. The colorful, rare flowers bloom in moments like “Eternal Return” and “Panpsych,” while the two single and album openers —the title track and “Deadstick” — act as volcanic eruptions of blaring brass. Phantom Island is King Gizzard building an accessible bridge to their otherworldly catalog, and what a disillusioning world we’ve stumbled upon.
Phantom Island is an immersive, all-inclusive ten-song stay at the mystifying Chateau De Gizzard, where the walls are splattered with fresh ideas. Whether you’re on a nostalgic ride through rock’s history on “Spacesick,” doing some groovy self-analysis to “Lonely Cosmos,” or blissfully drifting along on the dreamy “Sea of Doubt,” King Gizzard made sure every guest felt welcome without sacrificing their true range. While Phantom Island is a consistent and stadium-sized effort, each song feels like its own little universe of musical solace to get lost in.
