![]() ![]() ![]() Similarly, the subsequent “Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell,” which briefly returns the group to something resembling the sound of 1995’s Clouds Taste Metallic, further details Coyne and company’s celestial mission, alternating between bad trip pessimism and euphoric bliss as only scattered children of the psychedelic age can. 1” is an album standout, as well as a great introductory track for those unfamiliar with The Flaming Lips’ music.Ĭontinuing in the album (and group’s) vein of signature cosmic mysticism, expansive neo-psych jam “In the Morning of the Magicians” appropriately draws its title from 1960-published New Age conspiracy theory survey The Morning of the Magicians. Coyne’s comic book account of Yoshimi P-We’s preparation for combat, which includes exercising and “taking lots of vitamins,” adds an air of good humor to the entire ordeal, complementing the track’s sunnily upbeat melodic disposition. Having won his lawsuit against the group, Stevens still receives royalties for “Fight Test.” The Flaming Lips’ retrofuturistic sense of idealism is never better realized than on Yoshimi, especially on part one of its title track, which remains a superior indie rock composition, now a classic of its genre. This remains among The Flaming Lips’ top tracks, embodying the group’s vast, spacey, far-out sound-an intermingling of ’60s and ’70s psychedelic rock and ’90s and ’00s experimental pop, rich in synthesizers and computer effects. Opening track “Fight Test,” which bore a striking resemblance to Cat Stevens’ own 1970-released hit “Father and Son” and resulted in a lawsuit against the group, finds frontman Wayne Coyne contemplating: “I thought I was smart/I thought I was right/I thought it better not to fight/I thought there was a virtue/In always bein’ cool,” introducing the album’s themes of conflict and combat. ![]() In its time, Yoshimi marked a turning point in modern music, The Flaming Lips having proved themselves by successfully expanding upon the sonic mastery demonstrated on The Soft Bulletin. This plot line, however, is exceedingly loose and takes a backseat to the album’s soundscapes, which are lush with melancholic intimacy-such blue waves of cosmic introspection to be expected of any great psychedelic release. A solid follow-up to the group’s 1999-released breakthrough and ultimate masterpiece The Soft Bulletin, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots continues The Flaming Lips’ creative vision into the overwhelmingly dystopian 21st century, as appropriately represented throughout its storyline, in which Japanese alt rock heroine Yoshimi P-We seeks to overcome a race of sentient machines hell bent upon humanity’s destruction. Move over, Burt Bacharach: the spirit of classic songwriting appears to have found a new vessel.Oklahoma City-based neo-psychedelic rockers The Flaming Lips had been recording music together for nearly 20 years prior to the release of their critically acclaimed 10th studio album Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. And "In The Morning of The Magicians" is a gentle, balladic rumination on love and empathy. "Do you realise?/ That happiness makes you cry?/ That everyone you know someday will die?" goes "Do You Realise", before a sparkling key change hikes the song up into a blub-inducing hymn to positivity. Elsewhere, we find some of The Flaming Lips most touching songs to date. Throughout, though, Wayne Coynes vocals are warm, honest, and heartfelt-no matter how absurd the words hes singing: "Shes gotta be strong to fight em/ So shes eaten lots of vitamins," he warbles, sweetly, on the title track, as vocoders chirrup in the background. The albums concept is peculiar in the extreme-a Manga-fied tale of a young Japanese girl warring against mechanical foes. Relying on crisp digital textures over muddy feedback rockouts, these eleven tracks are fully-realised modern symphonies, twinkling with vivid orchestral sounds. But Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots sees the band evolve even further into new, uncharted realms. 1999s The Soft Bulletin found this band of Oklahoma acidheads refining their eccentric indie-rock into glittering psychedelic fables. Good news: the 11th album from the Flaming Lips, is just as magnificent as its predecessor. Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots CD Warner Bros. ![]()
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