GUM/Ambrose Kenny-Smith – ‘Ill Times’ album review: fun yet heartfelt psychedelia
THE SKINNY: If you’ve ever wondered how King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard find time to make so many albums, band member Ambrose Kenny-Smith isn’t here to give you an answer. But you should be warned, he’s going to leave you with even more questions. How do each of the Australian rockers manage to find time for side projects too? And how do they manage to make such consistently good music?
To be fair, Kenny-Smith hasn’t made his new record alone, it’s a collaboration with Jay Watson, best known for founding projects like GUM and Pond, while touring as a live member of Tame Impala. The pair have teamed up to make Ill Times, which comes after several years of being friends.
It seems as though both are not just good friends but also on the same musical wavelength, with their respective bands (Kenny-Smith is also a member of The Murlocs) crossing paths various times throughout the years. They’re both prominent members of Australia’s psychedelic scene, so it was about time a collaboration album came to fruition.
The record contains traces of both Kenny-Smith and Watson’s own projects, with the former’s signature harmonica, which he often plays in King Gizzard, finding a home on Ill Times. It’s also a chance for Kenny-Smith to demonstrate the true capacities of his soulful voice, with funk, psychedelic, and soul influences all merging into one.
Ill Times is a fun album, consistently upbeat and danceable, although some of the tracks are considerably more forgettable than others. Kenny-Smith and Watson both stay rather loyal to the sounds and style that have made them respected musicians, but they would have benefited from pushing the boat out a bit more, as some songs simply sound like B-sides from their already-established bands.
Still, there’s a lot to discover on Ill Times, from the grooves of ‘Minor Setback’ to their interesting take on ‘Fool For You’ by the Impressions. Paired with lyrics about making it through grief and hard times, Kenny-Smith and Watson have made a record full of passion and energy.
For fans of: Neo-psychedelia lovers with a penchant for ’70s rock.
A concluding comment from my boyfriend: “This album features staple Australian sensibilities with an American seasoning. It reminds me of Kangaroo Jack.”
Ill Times track by track:
Release Date: July 19th | Producer: Ambrose Kenny-Smith and Jay Watson | Label: p(doom) records
‘Dud’: The album opens with a touching tribute to Kenny-Smith’s late father, Broderick Smith, a musician who instilled in the singer a love of music from an early age. Despite everything, the song is still upbeat, with Kenny-Smith ending with the bittersweet lines “Father, I bid you adieu/ Somewhere up there singing the blues/ Never out of tune.” [3.5/5]
‘Ill Times’: Punchy and psychedelic, the track opens with spacey synths that give way to fuzzy guitars and rolling drums. The song builds to welcome Kenny-Smith’s strong vocals, which weave in and out of pummelling classic rock-influenced riffs. [3.5/5]
‘Minor Setback’: Harking back to that signature early 2010s neo-psychedelic sound, a swinging bassline with a slight essence of sleaze compliments the groovy, laid-back drums and warped guitars. [3.5/5]
‘Fool For You’: Kenny-Smith’s soulful voice lends perfectly to a cover of The Impressions’ ‘Fool For You’, which he and Watson have infused with a modernised garage-psych touch, although the power and intensity of the original is far from lost. [4/5]
‘Resilience’: Kenny-Smith’s love of the harmonica adds a nice touch to this cut, which is funk-laden with a sanguine sound, radiating the warmth of the Australian sun. [4/5]
‘Powertrippn’: The duo take a deceivingly heavy turn at the beginning of ‘Powertrippn’, tricking us into thinking it’s going to be one of the album’s loudest numbers. Yet it mellows out in a much more chilled number with a hazy hip-hop beat. While it is enjoyable, it’s definitely not the most memorable cut. [3/5]
‘Old Transistor Radio’: Unfortunately, the album starts to sag here with similar fuzzy guitars and hip-hop beats that have defined the rest of the songs so far. It doesn’t feel particularly innovative or original, although, isolated from the rest of the album, it is still a solid song. [3/5]
‘Emu Rock’: Short and sweet, harmonica and keys really shine on this one, with a country-esque beat allowing the song to plod along. The song picks up pace quickly, though, with the lyrics reflecting the song: “Keep it simple/ Don’t overdo it.” [3.5/5]
‘Marionette’: Kenny-Smith’s voice is impressively powerful, accompanied by major piano keys that give the song a gospel-like quality. [3/5]
‘The Gloater’: Opening with singular keys and vocals, the drums are turned up high while the bass blankets the listener, creating a hopeful sound. It’s a nice end to an album, recalling the feeling of driving home after a long day while the sun sets and reminding us that no matter what life throws at us, we can make it through. While this might be cliche, the song manages to avoid sounding as such, building into a fun bass-heavy, layered end. [3.5/5]
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