flaming lips

[Jammer XCI]

Yeah their new stuff I've heard is pretty good, probably goes without saying that I was blazed as fuck when I listened to it though.

[Birds in Hell]

Sounds like it's something from the Soft Bulletin/Yoshimi era.

I haven't heard this yet but this makes me not want to.

[washing machine]

Upon first listen, I like this new album. I also really liked The Terror, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. That being said, this band has completed it's fade into oblivion with that spoken word passage at the end of "There Should Be Unicorns." Luckily that moment isn't too big of a distraction if you're willing to close your eyes and give this thing a good headphone listen. This is the most tranquil and meditative I've heard them sound in years.

[washing machine]

Sounds like it's something from the Soft Bulletin/Yoshimi era.

I haven't heard this yet but this makes me not want to.

I can tell that The Soft Bulletin comparisons are going to show up in a lot of reviews, particularly when talking about "The Castle" and "Sunrise," but that comparison begins and ends with the usage of synths and all of the orchestral passages Throughout this album. This still feels very much like the gloomy, paranoid Obama-era Flaming Lips. The drum machines on this and the vocal manipulations really add a frightening undercut to those lush textures. "Waitin' For A Superman" this ain't...

[Kevin Davis]

The promo photo for this album shows the band and possibly some other assorted personnel wearing Wizard of Oz costumes. On a scale of 1 to 10, how much would you say the album sounds like the aural equivalent of that?

[verb_to_trust]

The Miley song is actually pretty good.

[lowlight79]

I am sorry, but everything they have done since At war with the mystics has been fucking awful and odd. I am listening to the new record now and i am 3 songs in and I don't hear anything I like so far, but we will see.

[Kevin Davis]

I thought "At War With the Mystics" itself was pretty weak at the time, but now that it's gained some context it makes more sense to me -- it feels very much like a moment of transition between the lush, synth-oriented pop of "Yoshimi" and the darker, guitar-and-groove-based feel of "Embryonic." I think both "Embryonic" and "The Terror" are great. From the advance singles, it sounds like this album might be a transition away from the last two albums the same way "Mystics" was a transition into them, but I haven't listened beyond that yet.

I also haven't kept up on all their below-the-radar releases, of which it seems like there have been many. Any of them worth the time of day?

[washing machine]

The promo photo for this album shows the band and possibly some other assorted personnel wearing Wizard of Oz costumes. On a scale of 1 to 10, how much would you say the album sounds like the aural equivalent of that?

Hmm. Might be something to that. The middle third of this album goes very deep into fairy tale imagery and technicolor trippiness, and then shifts into more warm and melodic territory through the last three songs. It ends up feeling like you've arrived at some sort of a destination after getting through it all. There's a castle, "almost home", an anthem about unity...

I also haven't kept up on all their below-the-radar releases, of which it seems like there have been many. Any of them worth the time of day?

Short answer: No. the stuff under the fwends moniker is mostly self-indulgent music to take drugs to.

Long answer: Drozd is a real treasure and the instruments these guys use are out of this world. One of the Lips best strengths is the ability to play with texture and mood in a way that makes you almost literally feel their music in your body. If you happen to dive into any of that ancillary non-album stuff, you'll no doubt find passages that move you in the moment. You just won't remember them later.

[lowlight79]

Long answer: Drozd is a real treasure and the instruments these guys use are out of this world. One of the Lips best strengths is the ability to play with texture and mood in a way that makes you almost literally feel their music in your body. If you happen to dive into any of that ancillary non-album stuff, you'll no doubt find passages that move you in the moment. You just won't remember them later.

I feel like this can apply to there entire catalog.

[verb_to_trust]

There just aren't really that many hooks anymore. Maybe hooks are boring to them at this point?

[Birds in Hell]

I think both "Embryonic" and "The Terror" are great.

Me too, in fact they're the only Flaming Lips releases that I've ever really enjoyed.

I'll check this out soon.

[Jammer XCI]

Embryonic was fucking awesome, The Terror was interesting but the only song I really liked on it was You Lust.

[verb_to_trust]

It's sort of bumming me out my favorite song on this is The Castle.

[Jammer XCI]

I really liked that one and How. Fucking hated the one with Miley Cyrus. Still haven't listened to the album.

[washing machine]

We A Famly, Jammie

[lowlight79]

Gave a it a good listen, just not feeling it. Sunrise(eyes of the young and We a Famly were the only tracks i liked.

[verb_to_trust]

I'm probably going to catch the Madison show. Whatever short comings the albums have the shows are still awesome.

[washing machine]

Serious question with a maybe obvious answer, but what shortcomings do their recent albums (let's say from Embryonic onward) actually have?

[tragabigzanda]