Review: The Flaming Lips, "At War With The Mystics"

Artist: The Flaming Lips
Album: At War With The Mystics
Year Released: 2006 - Warner Brothers Records
Genre: Indie, Electronic, Rock
Rating: (4/4) Awesome

The first thing about this album that caught my attention is the cover art. It was beautiful. I was standing in Urban Outfitters, in the men’s department where they keep the covers of the records they are spinning, and I was intrigued by the artful explosion of color and the guy on the front in obvious disbelief at the light emanating from the bright orange and blue blob. It was truly surreal. And I hadn't even heard the album yet.

"At War With the Mystics", is the 11th release for the Flaming Lips, spanning over a twenty years of intrigue, and a blatant disregard for the normality of the music industry. And the album continues the tradition with utter excellence from start to finish. With an analog feel, and a cacophony of sounds ranging from synth driven organ sounds, to clapping of human hands, the album does a great job of standing out from the standard radio played songs put out today.

One of my favorite tracks, "The Wizard Turns On... The Giant Silver Flashlight and Puts on His Werewolf Moccasins", is a grand instrumental track that moves up and down, telling a story with textural sounds rather than lyrics, and inviting the listener into an imaginative state of being. Another great, "Vein of Stars", provides an almost ballad like beginning to an intriguing, psychologically driven song hinting at the state of life today.

You will not be disappointed with the outcome of this album, no matter where your tastes in music lie. Pick up a copy of this heroic album today.

The Flaming Lips Are: Wayne Coyne, Steven Drozd, Michael Ivins.
Album Produced By: The Flaming Lips, Dave Fridmann, Scott Booker