At first glance, it’s easy to see The Wizard – all straggly locks and retina-frazzling sleeves – as simply part of a psychedelic second wave lapping these shores in the wake of Tame Impala’s success. Until, that is, you hear their music.
Seemingly just as happy dispensing pulsating Krautrock (I’m In Your Mind Fuzz) as they are delivering squalling space jams (Slow Jam 1) and lysergically enhanced pop (Satan Speeds Up), their fifth album defies categorisation at every turn.
In other hands, this would make for a frustrating listen, but there’s a melodic warmth to mainman Stu Mackenzie’s cosmic musings – notably on Black Keys-esque standout Am I In Heaven, which suggests that somewhere within the bad acid swampiness, there’s a great pop band struggling to get out./o:p
