| Changes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 28 October 2022 | |||
| Recorded | 2017–2022 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 40:01 | |||
| Label | KGLW | |||
| Producer | Stu Mackenzie | |||
| King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Changes | ||||
| ||||
Changes is the 23rd studio album by Australian psychedelic rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, released on 28 October 2022. It is the third album the band released during October 2022 and fifth and final album to be released overall during the year.
On 18 June 2022, the band posted a tweet promising three more albums by the end of 2022. [3] More details came on 12 July, when it was reported that the last album was "something Gizzard has been working on since 2017 – the longest amount of time the band has ever spent on a single record." Mackenzie stated that "There isn’t a jamming vibe on it. It’s super considered, for a Gizz record. Every overdub and every part is important", and described the record as "more of a song cycle". [4]
The album was first conceived in 2017. That same year, the band released five studio albums. Changes was supposed to be the final one, however the band didn't think the album was finished, and instead released Gumboot Soup . The eventual release of the album contains "Exploding Suns" as it was recorded back in 2017. [5]
As stated by band member Stu Mackenzie: "Every song is built around this one chord progression – every track is like a variation on a theme." The band had been "tinkering with" Changes since then, calling the album "not necessarily our most complex record, but every little piece and each sound you hear has been thought about a lot."
The overall sound of the album was described as "soaked in the warm sonics of 70s R’n’B and guided by simple chord-changes that contain multitudes". It was also noted that the first letter of each song title on Changes spells out the album's title. [6]
Changes was originally going to be one long song. That became the album's 13-minute opening track "Change", which was described as an "odyssey touching on kaleidoscopic '60s pop, color-splattered prog-rock fireworks, and floaty, keyboard-driven retro R&B". Mackenzie described the following songs as building out of the first track: "'Hate Dancin'' is built out of one of the chord progressions from 'Change'. And then 'Astroturf' is built out of one of the chord progressions in "Change" as well. And so is 'Short Change', the last song. Every song on the album is built out of a section of 'Change.' [7]
The band photo of the album cover was shot at Jardins de les Tres Xemeneies park in Barcelona, Spain. [8]
On 7 September, it was revealed that copies of the album will be available at the band's show at the Orpheum in New Orleans, on 27 October, a day ahead of the album's release date.
A music video for the first single "Hate Dancin'", directed by John Angus Stuart, was released on 17 October. [9]
The album was released on 28 October.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
| Far Out | [10] |
| Louder Than War | [11] |
| Pitchfork | 7.2/10 [12] |
| Uncut | 8/10 [13] |
In the review for AllMusic, Tim Sendra described that albums as being, "weird and familiar at once, like exploring the moon from the safety of your own couch." and claimed that, "King Gizzard are never less than compelling, and even when their concepts are modest, they deliver a final product that's psychedelic pop/rock/funk/soul/prog/what have you at its very best." [1] Concluding the review for Far Out Magazine , Aimee Ferrier compared it the band's previous work; "Changes is no Nonagon Infinity , Infest the Rats' Nest or Flying Microtonal Banana , but these incredible albums naturally take some beating. The band’s 23rd effort feels concise and lovingly made, delivering some of the band’s most tender and mature moments yet." [10] Louder Than War's Wayne Carey also drew comparisons to other releases in the band's oeuvre, claiming that, "King Gizz continue to surprise with each release. Three albums in a month including Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava , Laminated Denim and now Changes. I could only review one and I think this album speaks for them all. An absolute treasure on the music scene and not a bad release yet as far as I’m concerned. A stunning collection of work that continues to surprise." [11]
Reviewing the album for Uncut , Maclay Heriot stated that, "Changes underscores its makers' commitment to evolution". [13]
Vinyl releases have tracks 1–2 on side A, and 3–7 on side B.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Change" |
| 13:03 |
| 2. | "Hate Dancin'" |
| 3:16 |
| 3. | "Astroturf" |
| 7:33 |
| 4. | "No Body" | Mackenzie | 3:42 |
| 5. | "Gondii" | Mackenzie | 4:57 |
| 6. | "Exploding Suns" |
| 4:40 |
| 7. | "Short Change" | Mackenzie | 2:50 |
| Total length: | 40:01 | ||
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard
Production
| Chart (2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA) [14] | 4 |
| UK Album Downloads (OCC) [15] | 79 |
| UK Progressive Albums (OCC) [16] | 13 |
| US Top Album Sales ( Billboard ) [17] | 44 |
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard (KGLW) are an Australian rock band formed in 2010 in Melbourne, Victoria. The band's current lineup consists of Stu Mackenzie, Ambrose Kenny-Smith, Cook Craig, Joey Walker, Lucas Harwood, and Michael Cavanagh. They are known for exploring multiple genres, staging energetic live shows, and building a prolific discography.
Nonagon Infinity is the eighth studio album by Australian psychedelic rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. It was released on 29 April 2016 on ATO Records. The album is designed to play as an "infinite loop" where each song segues into the next and the last song segues into the first, so that "the record can be played front-to-back-to-front-to-back and the sound won't break". The title is a reference to this idea, as there are nine songs on the album that could be played "infinitely".
Paper Mâché Dream Balloon is the seventh studio album by Australian psychedelic rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. It was released on 13 November 2015 on the band's Bandcamp, and then a week later on Heavenly Records. The album was recorded with almost entirely acoustic instruments.
Quarters! is the sixth studio album by Australian psychedelic rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. It was released on 1 May 2015 on Heavenly Records, peaking at No. 99 on the ARIA Charts.
12 Bar Bruise is the debut studio album by Australian psychedelic rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. It was released on 7 September 2012 on Flightless. It peaked at No. 14 on the ARIA Albums Chart after being released on vinyl in November 2018.
Oddments is the fourth studio album by Australian psychedelic rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. It was released on 7 March 2014 on Flightless. It peaked at No. 13 on the ARIA Albums Chart after being re-released on vinyl in November 2018. "Work This Time" remains the band's most listened-to track on Spotify, with over 40 million plays to date.
I'm in Your Mind Fuzz is the fifth studio album by Australian psychedelic rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. It was released on 31 October 2014 on Flightless Records in Australia, just over a week later on 11 November in the United States on Castle Face Records, and on 1 December that same year on Heavenly Records worldwide. At the J Awards of 2014, the album was nominated for Australian Album of the Year. I'm in Your Mind Fuzz was the band's first album to chart on the ARIA charts, peaking at number 85.
Sketches of Brunswick East is the eleventh studio album by Australian psychedelic rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, and the third by Mild High Club. The title is a reference to the Melbourne suburb of Brunswick East and Miles Davis' 1960 LP Sketches of Spain, which inspired the album's jazz-oriented sound. It was released on 18 August 2017, by Flightless in Australia, ATO Records in the United States, and Heavenly Recordings in the United Kingdom. It is the third of five albums released by the band in 2017.
Polygondwanaland is the twelfth studio album by Australian psychedelic rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. The album was released under a BY-ND Creative Commons license—the band uploaded the master tapes online for anyone to freely use. The fourth of five albums released by the band in 2017, it was released on 17 November 2017.
Gumboot Soup is the thirteenth studio album by Australian psychedelic rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. It was released on 31 December 2017 by Flightless. The album is the final of five albums released by the band in 2017. The artwork was designed by longtime band collaborator Jason Galea.
Willoughby's Beach is the second EP by Australian psychedelic rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. It was released on 21 October 2011. It peaked at No. 15 on the ARIA Albums Chart after being released on vinyl in November 2018.
Infest the Rats' Nest is the fifteenth studio album by Australian psychedelic rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. It was released on 16 August 2019 by the band's record label, Flightless, and ATO Records. The album sees the band using a heavy metal and thrash metal style, which they had only briefly touched upon on previous albums. Its lyrics address environmental themes such as climate change and ecological disaster through a cli-fi narrative involving space colonisation.
K.G. is the sixteenth studio album by Australian psychedelic rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, released on 20 November 2020 on their own label. The album was preceded by four singles, the first three were released alongside music videos uploaded to YouTube. K.G. is a sonic "sequel" to Flying Microtonal Banana, which was subtitled "Explorations into Microtonal Tuning, Volume 1" and also a direct predecessor to L.W..
L.W. is the seventeenth studio album by Australian psychedelic rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, released on 25 February 2021 by Flightless. The album was preceded by 3 singles, which were released alongside music videos uploaded to YouTube. L.W. is a companion album to K.G. Explorations into Microtonal Tuning, Volume 2, released only four months before, and a continuation of microtonal themes first featured in Flying Microtonal Banana (2017).
Butterfly 3000 is the eighteenth studio album by Australian psychedelic rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, released on 11 June 2021. It is the band's first album not released on Flightless Records, instead being released on the band's own label KGLW. It is their second studio LP of 2021, following February's L.W.. The album was described as "melodic" and "psychedelic" upon its initial announcement on 10 May, along with the words "cross-eyed autostereogram", in reference to the album art.
Made in Timeland is the nineteenth studio album by Australian psychedelic rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, released on 5 March 2022 on Flightless in Australia, and ATO in the U.S. Produced by Stu Mackenzie, the album consists of two fifteen-minute-long tracks, each taking one side of the record.
Omnium Gatherum is the 20th studio album and first double album by Australian psychedelic rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, released on 22 April 2022. The album was announced on 8 March 2022 and made available for pre-order on 22 March. It marked the first studio release where all band members are playing together live since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. As with previous releases, the album features music of numerous genres, including psychedelia, progressive rock, heavy metal and synth-pop, as well as the band's first experiments with hip hop. It received generally positive reviews, although critics were divided on its length and consistency.
Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava is the 21st studio album by Australian psychedelic rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, released on 7 October 2022 on KGLW.
Laminated Denim is the 22nd studio album by Australian psychedelic rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, released on 12 October 2022; five days after their previous album Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava.
The Silver Cord is the 25th studio album by Australian psychedelic rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, released on 27 October 2023 on KGLW. Produced by band leader Stu Mackenzie, the project is made up of two distinct albums with extended or shortened versions of the same tracks: one lasting 28 minutes, the other 88 minutes.