King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard showcase a sitar and a sense of humor on their new song and music video for “Straws in the Wind”.
Listening to a fresh cut from the prolific Aussie rockers is like cracking open a Gumpian box of chocolate — it really does seem like anything is possible. For this song, led by bandmember Ambrose Kenny-Smith, King Gizz dips a toe into Beatles-esque psychedelia. Over discursive acoustic guitars and driving drums, Kenny-Smith sings out apocalyptic lyrics in a sweet tenor voice: “Straws in the wind. Is it all ending?” He adds. “Like a blunder brewing full to the brim. I can hear hells kitchen and they’re singing hymns.” Cook Craig cracks out the sitar, and Stu Mackenzie joins in with otherworldly flutes.
The accompanying music video is a celebration of green screen, and a demonstration of how far you can get with just a pair of aviators and a leaf blower. Kenny-Smith gives a lively performance, sucking on straws as his luscious locks flutter in the artificial breeze. Heads and arms of other bandmembers make appearances, and occasionally their torsos, too. But for the most part they seem to be wearing a certain shade of green shirt, so that the rest of their bodies disappear in the violent gusts of incoming tornadoes. Both song and video are a lot of fun, and you can check them out below.
Over the summer, King Gizzard shared the singles “Some of Us” and “Honey”. These are the first new songs released since 2019’s Infest the Rats’ Nest. In the meantime, the group has put out a host of live albums, including three to benefit Australia’s bushfire relief efforts, as well as April’s Chunky Shrapnel. Last month Eric Moore, the drummer and manager of King Gizz, left the band