With all your power, what would you do?

Thoughts on an Album

At War with the Mystics by The Flaming Lips


This album is very strange, and not quite what I expected. But then again, I guess The Flaming Lips are never what one expects. But I like it quite a bit, and it gets better with every listen.

My favorite tracks so far:

• "The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song" - I love this song. It is truly bizarre, but I love the handclap-propelled rhythm. It is upbeat and quirky fun, with interesting lyrics.
• "The Sound of Failure/It's Dark . . . Is it Always This Dark?" - I love it when the steady but minimized beat kicks in. There is a lot going on in this song, and it takes a while to absorb it all.
• "My Cosmic Autumn Rebellion (The Inner Life as Blazing Shield of Defiance and Optimism as Celestial Spear of Action) " - This track seems like it would fit in well on Yoshimi. It is beautiful and serene, yet with a loud guitar edge that is a bit disconcerting. A bit reminiscent of "Do You Realize?" And you cannot go wrong with a title like this.
• "It Overtakes Me/The Stars are So Big, I am So Small . . . Do I Stand a Chance" - The combination of the bass and the percussion makes this pone of my favorites. "It wakes and bakes me." Plus, it is another fine title. And later in the song, The Chipmunks sing backup.
• "Haven't Got a Clue" - I always like songs that are insulting. "Every time you state your case, the more I want to punch your face." And then Wayne sings along to the guitar. Weird.
• And my favorite track so far: "Mr. Ambulance Driver" - I don't really know why. It has sirens.

Overall, another fine concoction of cacophonous melodiousness from the wizards of Oklahoma.