The Wake

The evolution of the Flaming Lips’ music is nearly as trippy as the music itself. Starting out as a lo-fi indie rock band and progressing to fuzzed-out psychedelia, most recently they’ve been doing some of the best pop-friendly atmospheric noise orchestrations you’re likely to find. Half the fun of listening to their newest album, At War with the Mystics, is finding out what sound the band is taking on now.

The thing is, there is no one sound to this album. It opens with a catchy ’60s-esque psyched-up singalong about the dangers of power, both personal and political. Immediately we’re transported to the ’80s with an electro-funk masterpiece that would make Prince himself proud. Titled “Free Radicals” (the best chemistry puns to ever grace the music industry), the song is a full frontal blast against fanaticism of all types.

What ties these songs and the rest of the album together is the no holds barred lyrics taking on current events. Pop princesses (Britney Spears and Gwen Stefani by name) get theirs, as do superficial minds and rogue politicians. Calling this a political album would severely insult the massive scope of Lips’ singer and songwriter Wayne Coyne’s lyrics here.

The only weak spot on the album is about halfway through when things start to sound a little like their previous albums, specifically Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots and The Soft Bulletin. “Vein of Stars” is the prime culprit, with not enough going on musically and predictable but vague lyrics. But with so many ear pleasing moments like the explosion of pure sonic goodness halfway through “My Cosmic Autumn Rebellion” and the way “It Overtakes Me” leads perfectly into the crazy-catchy, pop-done-right-it’s-scary “Mr. Ambulance Driver,” one weak song is forgivable on an album of well played lyricism and amazing musical variety.