Culture Blues

In the time that I have been writing reviews for this badass website, I have never had to write about a more challenging record than Embryonic, the newest release by everyone's favorite animal head wearers, The Flaming Lips. The Lips themselves are a pretty challenging band; let's face it, none of you who were alive back in 1986 had their debut Hear It Is on your radar. But if you tell your friends you did, then chances are you did not like the direction the band went in during the 90's. Lead singer Wayne Coyne changed his vocal style (he used to sing lower) and the band's sound expanded considerably. Fans of the 90's era Lips embraced the band's new direction and attempts at sound experimentation, yet they too were bummed as the mainstream caught on (around the turn of the century) and the band became a bit more polished and digestible. So now we have the current wave of Lips fans who love The Soft Bulletin, and Yoshimi Battles Pink Robots, well... if you are expecting the current record to be in that vein; you will be tremendously disappointed.

I am not saying Embryonic is a bad record, it simply marks another radical shift in sound from their last few releases. Gone are the sweeping sci-fi ballads, the concept based imagery, the radio-friendly tunes that recycle forever in the background of commercials. They have been replaced with some of the most bold sonic undertakings since before Gilmour joined Pink Floyd. Over two discs, the Lips stretch the concept of song writing and arrangement to points that range from genius to lunacy. This record is haunting, frantic, eerie, and ambient; it can stimulate your brain and drive you mad all within one track. The opening number (Convinced of the Hex) sets the scene for this record perfectly; from the moment it begins with its electronic misfire leads and almost tangented rhythm, it practically dares you to turn off the stereo, but the longer you listen the more you see the track start to take shape. There is no legitimate single on this record (nor was there ever meant to be one) but what it lacks in hooks it makes up for in overtoned bass-lines, ethereal backdrops, dying computers, and freak outs that would make Syd Barret envious. A brief word has to be said about Kliph Scurlock whose drumming throughout the cacophony is an absolute revelation (he's amazingly underrated).

If you are looking for an easy and enjoyable listening experience stay FAR away from this record. If you are looking for some Miles Davis meets a Moog, while Karen O makes animal noises over a telephone, then head on over to your local record store (like any of those exist... and no, Best Buy doesn't count).