22. The Flaming Lips
Embryonic [Warner, 2009]
One or two things we know about The Flaming Lips’ twelfth studio album Embryonic. Its 18 songs offer a marked departure from the symphonic pop of their last few albums, favoring a more aggressive, full-frontal acid-rock direction that is surprising and yet somehow retains the congruence of the veteran band’s original vision. Sonically, the epic album also leverages Wayne Coyne’s darkest impulses to the point of sublimation, as sinisterly-lit songs like “Powerless” and “Evil” make the most of a newly forged sound. It is the sprawling sound of The Flaming Lips surrendering to Dionysian urges, as deep rattling grooves and dense keyboard atmospherics provide the backdrop for Coyne to revel in his most formidable, paranoia-infused prophecies. The strange disorienting beauty of Embryonic is not only a return to form for the band – it is clearly a career highlight for these fearless freaks.
Embryonic [Warner, 2009]
One or two things we know about The Flaming Lips’ twelfth studio album Embryonic. Its 18 songs offer a marked departure from the symphonic pop of their last few albums, favoring a more aggressive, full-frontal acid-rock direction that is surprising and yet somehow retains the congruence of the veteran band’s original vision. Sonically, the epic album also leverages Wayne Coyne’s darkest impulses to the point of sublimation, as sinisterly-lit songs like “Powerless” and “Evil” make the most of a newly forged sound. It is the sprawling sound of The Flaming Lips surrendering to Dionysian urges, as deep rattling grooves and dense keyboard atmospherics provide the backdrop for Coyne to revel in his most formidable, paranoia-infused prophecies. The strange disorienting beauty of Embryonic is not only a return to form for the band – it is clearly a career highlight for these fearless freaks.
