Geeky Music Review: At War with the Mystics, and at peace with the Optimists.
Geeky Music Review: The Flaming Lips “At War with the Mystics”
Everyone’s favorite music-making psychos from Mars, have a recent release. Like a Radio Flyer being towed by a Tank, At War with the Mystics can’t hope to match the necessity of its predecessors Soft Bulletin and Yoshimi. But obviously, Wayne Coyne and Co. have just as much fun jumping around like kids in the wagon as they do blowing things up in the armored vehicle.
Guitarist/Drummer Steven Drozd kicking his drug habit seems like the prime reason this record’s so relatively optimistic for them. Songs like The Yeah, Yeah, Yeah Song (With all Your Power), W.A.N.D., and Haven’t Got a Clue confirm their collective upbeat-ness.
Hilarity that’s commonplace in their stage act doesn’t usually translate well in their recordings. But its front-‘n’-center in Mystics. Lines like “I still can’t believe all your plastic surgery/Now it’s everybody’s problem that you’re unhappy” make you smile, and the apologetic character acquiescing to “Britney” and “Gwen” in The Sound of Failure furthers the witty charm.
Somber numbers Mr. Ambulance Driver and Vein of Stars never live up to the legend of past glories like Do You Realize??, but you never get the sense that they were intended to. With all the giddiness in this record, it’s easy to miss the real joy of it- The Flaming Lips are truly self-aware, and they’re not lazily duplicating their past successes.
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