By Erik Adams
For The State News
Following the release of The Flaming Lips' 2002 album "Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots," the band became seasoned travelers, spreading a gleeful in-concert gospel with the aid of confetti, rabbit costumes, fake blood and a giant balloon that enabled frontman Wayne Coyne to walk on the hands of devoted fans.
But at some point, Coyne looked out from his plastic bubble and wasn't pleased with what he saw. What was his band to do in a world characterized by political polarization, rising international tensions and a cult of celebrity?
Craft an album-length statement of optimism, of course. That statement arrived in stores this week in the form of "At War With The Mystics," a collection of 12 tripped-out tunes with one message: Go on.
The message is two parts optimistic, one part realistic. For all its hopefulness, "At War With The Mystics" is chock full of death, feelings of inadequacy, abuses of power and eerie flute interludes. To truly "go on" as the album suggests, you've got to acknowledge the darker side of things.
It's a simple message that's in step with the album's seemingly simple lyrics. In some instances, such as the chorus of "Free Radicals" — "You think you're radical/But you're not so radical/In fact you're fanatical" — these lyrics prove deceptively loaded. Elsewhere, like the refrain, "Every time you state your case/The more I want to punch your face" in "Haven't Got A Clue" lyrics are as subtle as say, a punch in the face.
Then again, nobody approaches a Flaming Lips album looking to have their mind blown by the lyrics; the main attraction is the sonic bed these words lay upon.
Unfortunately, "At War With The Mystics" is hit-or-miss in this regard as well. The band hits its greatest emotional peaks when the emphasis is on the heavily processed guitars and demented Beach Boys harmonies featured in hookier tracks "The W.A.N.D." and "The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song." But when they try to hit those same peaks with the electronics that strengthened their last album, the results are blasé.
Things get spacey near the middle of the album, and the temptation to hit the skip button is strong. It's hard not to hear these tracks as reheated "Yoshimi" leftovers, particularly when compared to the fresh guitar licks offered elsewhere.
The aforementioned "Free Radicals" is the album's most refreshing listen. Coyne affects an outright Princely delivery to call out fanatics on both sides of the political spectrum, while a collage of sound effects bounce across the left and right audio channels. It's a funky finger-pointing party in the space between your ears and must be heard through headphones to be truly appreciated.
"At War With The Mystics" is a concept album with a great concept but a flawed execution. When you dream as large as The Flaming Lips, some of those dreams are bound to be only half realized. But if you buy into the album's message, you can acknowledge this fact and keep, as Coyne says, "goin' on."
