Float Along – Fill Your Lungs is the third studio album by Australian psychedelic rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, released months after their second album, Eyes Like the Sky. It was released on 27 September 2013 on Flightless Records and was re-released on vinyl in November 2018 by Flightless and ATO Records.[1] The re-release peaked at No. 12 on the ARIA Albums Chart.[2] The album was a change in style for the band, with the album being more psychedelic than their previous releases.[3]
Background and recording
Float Along – Fill Your Lungs was released in September 2013, seven months after their previous album, Eyes Like the Sky. It is the band's third album and fifth recorded release, and the first to feature second drummer, Eric Moore, using a drum kit as opposed to theremin and keyboards as used previously.[4] The album was recorded in home studios and sheds[5] in Darraweit Guim, Deniliquin, and Anglesea,[4] where they experimented with a psychedelic sound as opposed to the Western sound on their previous album.[4][6][7] The band furthered their experimentation by using synthesizers and the sitar, while also using unique time signatures in their music for the first time.[4] It was produced by Paul Maybury, Jarrad Brown, and band member Stu Mackenzie.[8]
Before the album's release a live video for "Head On/Pill" was issued, and the band played the full album live.[6]
Singles
Two singles were released in support of the album.[4] The first of these was "Head On/Pill", which was released as a music video on YouTube on 2 July 2013.[9] It was followed by "30 Past 7", which was released on 31 July 2013.[10] "Head On/Pill" was first shown when it was performed live in early 2013, prior to the album's release.[6][11] Both singles feature prominent sitar.[6]
"Head On/Pill" was received positively by critics, with John Paul of PopMatters calling the song a "sixteen-minute epic"[3] and Patrick Emery of The Sydney Morning Herald calling it an "epic opening",[12] with the song receiving further praise for its ability to keep the listener engaged despite its length.[13]
"30 Past 7" was also received well and was described as slow and ethereal by some.[5] The use of the sitar in the song was viewed positively by critics,[6] who said that it fit into the song and fulfilled a purpose.[5]
Music videos
There were two music videos released for the singles, "30 Past 7" and "Head On/Pill", from Float Along – Fill Your Lungs.[4]
The music video for "Head On/Pill" was created by friend of the band, Syd Row, and shows the band performing the song live in their studio.[9]
The video for "30 Past 7" was created by long-time King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard collaborator Jason Galea, who created the video using old VHS footage and white noise.[10] The video was made to represent the feeling of waking up early in the morning for work, and features scenes designed to represent a worker fighting their boss and going insane from their job.[10]
Music
On Float Along – Fill Your Lungs, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard experimented with a more psychedelic sound.[4] As well as psychedelic, the music on the album has been described as garage and fuzz.[3][13] The album has also been described as experimental, drawing influences from the music of the '60s[13] as well as featuring instruments such as the sitar in its music.[6][13]
Critics described the album as psychedelic, garage, and fuzz.[6][13] Indre McGlinn of The Music Network called the musical style of Float Along – Fill Your Lungs "maturing" when compared with the band's previous work, with the stylistic choices made by the band differing from those found on their previous albums.[13]
Reception of the album was generally positive, with many authors praising the experimentation found within the album.[6][13] In a review from AllMusic, Tim Sendra describes Float Along – Fill Your Lungs as "cool and definitely worth getting into" with the album receiving 3 and a half out of 5 stars.[7] Patrick Emery from The Sydney Morning Herald described the album as a "fantastic and truly mesmerising record".[12] The re-release of Float Along – Fill Your Lungs peaked at number 12 on the ARIA Albums Chart in 2018.[2]
Track listing
Vinyl releases have tracks 1–3 on Side A, and tracks 4–8 on Side B.[14]
