A lot has changed in the past three-and-a-half years, but the Flaming Lips are still their usual trippy, whimsical selves on the follow-up to 2002's Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots.
Their latest release, however, is not just a rehash. At War With the Mystics features a darker edge, a moody exoticism that's just as hard to place as the shimmering hopefulness of Yoshimi.
Mystics features janglier guitars, heavier distortion and gloomier chords in a mix that somehow also evokes a tinge of world-weary cynicism. Even on undeniably poppy tracks, such as the opener "The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song," frontman Wayne Coyne sounds like a grizzled old-timer singing a syrupy-sweet pop song. Which is perhaps the reason why the Lips sound so much better than any other pop band. The background vocal track that forms the structure of "The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song" is so catchy it's scary. There's something slightly insane about the chorus of voices providing the "yeahyeahyeahyeah" backing vocals. You need pills to sound that happy.
But behind all the harmonies and handclaps, there's a dire warning to politicians everywhere. "You cannot know yourself / or what you'd really do / with all your power," Coyne sings on the refrain.
Whereas most of the tracks on Yoshimi told the story of a nice Japanese lady who saves the world from evil robots, Mystic has no common lyrical theme. The album explores everything from a teenage car crash to bubble-gum pop.
"So go tell Britney, and go tell Gwen," Coyne sings on "The Sound Of Failure / It's Dark … Is It Always This Dark??" the tale of a girl whose best friend dies, prompting her to confront the "empty optimism" of modern culture. Coyne reveals on the group's website that the song was inspired by some friends whose father was dying of cancer. They remarked to him once that they were tired of hearing ridiculously upbeat commercial music almost everywhere they went.
Go tell Britney and Gwen to get a load of this because this is what pop music is really about.
Coyne shows a Dylanesque flair for telling stories on Mystics, basing many songs on complex characters and events. "Mr. Ambulance Driver, I'm not a real survivor, cause I'm wishing that I was the one that isn't here anymore," he laments on "Mr. Ambulance Driver," which Coyne describes as an "easy listening teenager car crash ballad."
Dark humor aside, the track is the most poignantly beautiful song on the album. The bass, guitar and drums expertly weave a recurring sample of an ambulance siren into a cosmic melody, almost transforming it into a fourth instrument.
Even while contemplating the afterlife on tracks like "Vein of Stars," the Lips never take themselves too seriously. Mystics is still chock full of the whimsical imagery that gave Yoshimi its signature charm. Revolution-rocker "The W.A.N.D." celebrates the power of the people to stop power-hungry tyrants — with the use of a magic wand.
And the Lips can still rock on the tracks without lyrics. Spacey instrumental jam "The Wizard Turns On …" features haunting grooves that are equal parts circus music and stoner rock. "Pompeii AM Götterdämmerung" features the band's trademark synthesized sounds and keyboards that sound like songbirds in the springtime.
The Lips even go back to their roots for a few tracks. The verse on the first track sounds like the Who's "You Better You Bet," and the funky "Free Radicals" evokes early Prince. "Goin' On" comes the closest the band will ever get to a "Hey Jude"-style ballad, pairing Coyne's soaring, reedy tenor with a beautiful piano progression.
The iTunes download of the album also includes three exclusive bonus tracks, including a cover of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" that's surprisingly good. The band does a faithful rendition but adds its own distinct flair to the vocal parts.
All in all, Mystics is another great installment of the Lips' unique brand of electro-pop. While some critics have said that Mystics is a giant step sideways for the band, the album finds Coyne and company at their most diverse and expansive musicianship yet. It's not Yoshimi all over again, but it's the follow-up to a phenomenal album that reveals a truly talented band.
Rating: 5 out of 5
