Review: At War with the Mystics / The Flaming Lips

Streaming here

I'm not sure whether it was the EP's (Fight Test and Ego Tripping) or the delays in release date, but I was seriously beginning to wonder just how different a new Flaming Lips' record would sound from their 2002 masterpiece Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. Well, regardless, my doubts were proved wrong the second At War with the Mystics hit my ears, as the trio proves once again to be one of the most fun, creative and innovative groups making music. I cannot think of another band - except maybe Sonic Youth - who has had such a good track record within the major label system; it has now been twenty years since the release of the band's first album, Here It Is).

From the moment the acapella harmonies of opener "The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song" kick in, it's pretty clear that they're not treading the same territory. The opening is remeniscent of "Bohemian Rhapsody" which, incidentally, the Lips recently covered. New sounds aside, the band is not off on another planet - lyrically, there's still that reliable Lips wisdom ("You cannot know yourself/or what you'd really do/With all your power") and plenty of instrumental interludes that sound like the score to science fiction b-movie. Mostly, songs have a 1970's feel to them whether it be hints of classic rock ("Free Radicals," "The W.A.N.D.") or pure "AM Gold" ("Vein of Stars," "Mr. Ambulance Driver") - all warped with enough eccentric blips, loops, samples and sound effects to set it apart. Though not quite as focused as Yoshimi, yet another dash of brilliance from one of the most reliably bands ever.

4 (out of 5)

::Recent Releases::
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002): 4.5
Fight Test EP (2003): 3
Ego Tripping EP (2004): 3.5

::Video::
"The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song" (Quicktime )