Computer Age

The Flaming Lips
At War with the Mystics
Warner Bros. 2006

The veteran Oklahoma band founded in 1983 by singer Wayne Coyne Guitariste and publishes these days the continuation of the long Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, 2002. The Flaming Lips, like a living organism in continuous and healthy growth, offered a very interesting reference between launches so far this year. Disco surreal, singular and self in which the imagination, humor and recreation sound per se mark their personal outcome. Lacking fulfillment of the required kind of commercial orientation, provides a significant deployment of resources and instrumental sound. Highlights from the first heard the use of musical textures and instrumental passages that seem inspired directly by the progressive rock bands of the 70s. Reminiscent of Genesis, Yes and Pink Floyd in much of the disc, such as in The Wizard turns on or Pompeii am Götterdämmerung, in which breathes the atmosphere of works such as The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway or Medle, when it seemed impossible that any alien to the progressive band could be influenced by them. It is not revival, it has its own personality too, and it is not symphonic rock. It is a unique case of creative work, resulting in a pop album, simpler and more luminous in the early songs, Yeah, yeah yeah song and Free radicals, and constantly changing issue after issue. In the fourth or fifth song, anything seems possible then. The musical runs to devise a total collapse in a virtual space thick and rich in ideas and arrangements cuidadísimos where, as in how the concept arose as many discs of yesteryear, one can leave to the attentive ear, enjoying the sound by sound, pampered and worked to the fullest.
As they say, their attitude towards the musical material is almost child, playing and recreating a state next to the daydreams. The result is in many topics of the dense landscape full of nuances and taste for the effects, with some parallels with bands like Sigur Ros and Radiohead in this regard. The voice is not situated in the forefront on many occasions, joining the stream of sound. Looking for the environment as much as the song and get a very balanced. The band plays his style, the result is not really looking at the new rest of his work, but at its highest. It is no coincidence that another lover of work with the disparate mix of textures and collage artist, like Beck, the use as a band.
A good example that sums up the disc is found in the song My cosmic autumn Rebellion, where the balance between pop song and its atmosphere is perfect, starting with a keyboard that could be in Tales from Topographic Oceans, to move closer to the style of Genesis 70, based on a wonderful melody and harmonic treatment. Anything that group or in another context could be flamboyant or in bad taste, is masterfully worked here. It is very difficult for the grandiloquence is controlled and used for the song.
The use of electronics has not been lower than in previous albums, but if done in such a way that does not perceive the mechanical and synthetic element that is common in other artists, but the sense of organic evolution is constant.
It must have taken much time and effort to make this record, no doubt, and it is possible that the band offers interesting things in the future. Will be at the Primavera Sound this year, which may move to see how these songs on stage.
All that remained was to say that it is not an easy or a disk around the world will end up tasting. It was discovered with the successive hear. Awash in all directions. Also has an attractive cover.