Flaming Lips' new release mystifies fans
The Flaming Lips' twelfth release, At War With The Mystics, isn't the best thing the Lips have released, but it's still better than a lot of the other shit on the radio.
Published April 11, 2006
When word starts to spread that the Flaming Lips are releasing a new album, there's a buzz through the indie rock world. And fans have already criticized At War With The Mystics, the newest release from Wayne Coyne, Steven Drozd and Michael Ivins. Although this album is not the group's best release thus far, it's difficult to beat the Lips' previous two albums, The Soft Bulletin and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots.
At War With The Mystics might be a step backward for the Lips, but they already were far ahead of the majority of popular music.
I found the first track, "Yeah Yeah Yeah Song," to be annoying at first. Back up singers repeat the word "yeah" throughout the whole song, and at certain spots there is some banshee-like shrieking. But the beat is amazing, and the lyrics are terribly catchy. One can't help but love it. The guitar on the track is skilled, and the melody is infectious. The lyrics ask a question, followed by either the high-pitched "yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah" or the low-pitched "no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no."
But the album has a few tragic upsets. The track "Free Radicals" has vocalist Coyne singing in a strange voice that reminded me a lot of Prince. It is quite different from Coyne's usual soft, melodic vocals. And the lyrics are nothing special. It sounds different from what the Lips usually produce.
"Haven't Got a Clue" also is quite disappointing. The beat and theme of girl troubles are typical. But the track is plagued by rapidly distorted vocals and bee noises that play in the background. The weird vocals are difficult to understand, but at one point early in the song it is clear that the voice says "I'll kill you," which take the Lips' typically twisted oddball approach to a disturbing extreme. Also, the song repeats the line, "Every time you state your case, the more I want to punch your face," which is quite the lyrical atrocity possibly caused by a songwriting meltdown on Coyne's part.
There also is a noticeable similarity between the intro to "The Sound of Failure/It's Dark... Is It Always This Dark??" and a past Lips song entitled "The Spark That Bled" from The Soft Bulletin. The two songs are the exact same slow beat, both with similar guitar intros.
However, after such amazing albums such as The Soft Bulletin and Yoshimi, this album seems to be a bit of a disappointment coming from the Lips. It sounds like the band wasn't pushing itself to become better but instead took a step backward.
Even bands as big and amazing as the Lips need to keep progressing, and At War With The Mystics is much more of a setback.
The majority of the album does keep with the Flaming Lips tradition of generating pure joy. There's a reason the Lips' concerts contain bubble machines, puppets, costumes and Christmas lights. It's because Flaming Lips music is the crack rock of happiness.
It makes me want to have glitter thrown on me while I roll around in a pile of Beanie Babies.
