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What’s better than one butterfly?
Photo from Gizzverse
The consistent Australian rockers are back with their seventeen studio album, Butterfly 3000, released on June 11, 2021, through KGLW. King Gizzard & The Wizard Lizard is Stu Mackenzie (vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, flute, sitar), Ambrose Kenny-Smith (vocals, harmonica, keyboards), Cook Craig (guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals), Joey Walker (guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals), Lucas Harwood (bass, keyboards), and Michael Cavanagh (drums, and percussion). Since their inception in 2011, they’ve released multiple albums every year, with five albums being the most they’ve produced. To my knowledge, no modern band does such a thing.
The announcement of Butterfly 3000 was silent; King Gizzard & The Wizard Lizard released one post on their social media saying they’re releasing a record titled Butterfly 3000 releasing on June 11, no singles, melodic + psychedelic, and cross-eyed auto stereogram. After the post, they published a bevy of photos of the album recording sessions and mass-production of the records. Once June 11 came, every piece of information of Butterfly 3000 dropped, and Gizzard fans rejoiced.
Photo from Instagram
I discovered this band this year after many years of indifference. Setting my ignorance aside, I gave them a listen and discovered my new favorite band. These guys are astonishing musicians: The guitars are sparse and fluid, tight percussion and drums, and alluring falsetto vocals. Besides being a proficient band, they like to experiment, and they do it well. King Gizzard & The Wizard Lizard have experimented with Surf Rock, Blues, Thrash Metal, Spaghetti Westerns, and Psychedelic rock, yet they always return to psychedelic rock. Butterfly 3000 is a departure from psych-rock to a synth-pop driven album with high arpeggiated synths, poignant acoustic and electric guitars, dreamy drums, and the vocalist is digging deep into his falsetto to produce lush harmonies. The leading man and vocalist, Stu Mackenzie, went in this direction because of how he felt about the novel virus and the birth of his daughter.
During the pandemic, I’ve had times of productivity, but then also just extreme discontent–like, ‘What’s the point in doing anything?’ So my daughter has been a nice arrow to point through this whole crazy time, and something to just reorient any negativity.
Mackenzie told Stereogum. He continues by saying:
The impetus for Butterfly 3000 extends back to the ambient interludes we created for the band’s 2020 concert film/soundtrack, Chunky Shrapnel, whose arsenal of vintage Moogs and newer Eurorack synths formed the bedrock of the new record. The synth we were using has really rudimentary sequences that are just random combinations of notes. We were drawn to the off-kilter amounts of notes–these weird time signatures coming from the synthesizer, rather than drums.
Those ideas come to fruition on tracks such as “Yours,” “Shanghai,” and “Catching Smoke.” “Yours” has a whistling synth, a cheerful guitar riff, punching drums, and Stu’s beautiful falsetto. My favorite part is when the acoustic guitar kicks in, reminding me that there’s bliss in the world. “Shanghai” opens with an Arabian-inspired synthesizer beat, rapid drums, Stu’s harmonious vocals, and a pretty guitar over Cook Craig’s falsetto. Then we have “Shanghai,” capturing how it feels to not travel after being kept at home for months. Last, “Catching Smoke” which would become one of King Gizzard’s most distinguished songs and the record’s highlight. “Catching Smoke” has a rapid Arabian-inspired synth key, thumping drums, and catchy vocals. It’s a fun track delivering plenty to keep you satisfied.
The lyrics on Butterfly 3000 take a light turn, as Stu describes how ecstatic he feels about being a father, but serious topics sneak up on the album. For example, the track “Ya Love” mentions how much Stu would love his daughter in this crazy world.
I can’t wait to go to some place with ya I can’t wait to go on adventures I can’t wait for us to pick you up I just can’t wait to feel
Then we have “Catching Smoke,” which describes how people can find gratitude in online purchases or maybe a drink?
I’ve got happiness inside my pocket It cost me 25 dollars Maybe we could go halvies? So just gimme a couple hours Starting fires with soggy timber Then, I’ll have the magic powers Woo! Everybody here is catching smoke Looking for the ephemeral Swallowing the sun in a moonlight room Standing at the foot of a rainbow, Everybody here is catching smoke Looking for the ephemeral Riding on a yellow-bellied brown snake Sipping on hedonism
Overall, Butterfly 3000 is a solid album that has plenty of innovative synths, harmonious vocal melodies to give you a fun listening experience. The lyrics provide comfort to this chaotic life by telling you about Stu Mackenzie’s everlasting love for his newborn daughter. The album still has dark undertones exhibiting the world’s chaos, but King Gizzard lets you know that hopefully, we can sort it out. If you enjoy synth-driven pop, this album is for you. May King Gizzard & The Wizard Lizard keep churning albums year after year.