Arizone!
Omnivore, 2021
9/10
The New Jersey natives Lizard Music got their start in the late ‘80s when they were in high school, and by the mid ‘90s had assembled a very well received catalog of multifaceted pop and rock records. However, in 1997 the band went on hiatus, and all the members went onto other endeavors in the music world.
Fast forward to 2020, when everyone was stuck indoors, and the band decided to tinker with some new ideas. Three months later they had their first album in 25 years, Arizone!.
“The Crow Flies” starts the listen and makes a significant impression with an energetic and melodic setting where thick guitars and well timed keys make for a precisely layered delivery, and “The Mixtape” follows with a burst of power-pop fun that’s as contagious as it is memorable.
Further into the listen, “Under The Table” finds a dreamy place to reside, where some spacey ideas enter the soulful climate, while the light and airy “They Did Their Best” recruits timeless folk ideas in its cautious landscape. “What’s My Line?”, one of the album’s best, then puts more focus on drumming as a busy and playful climate builds in their version of pop.
Deeper still, “Better Believe” lands in ballad like territory, as calm keys and light drumming are met with gentle singing, and “Naked In Las Vegas” ends the listen with a cozy acoustic strummer, where the many vocals give it a group effort feel that seems like it should soundtrack a campfire.
A truimphant return indeed, Chris Apple (bass, keys, vocals), Mikael Jorgensen (keys, guitar, vocals), Erik Paparozzi (guitar, keys, vocals) and Craig Smith (drums, percussion, keys, vocals) turn in a diverse and exciting listen that’s on par with the greatness achieved during their most active years. Let’s hope this isn’t an isolated affair, cause the band’s chemistry is clearly still very much alive and appreciated.
Travels well with: Divine Horsemen- Hot Rise Of An Ice Cream Phoenix; The Dream Syndicate- These Times