A couple of takes from The Flaming Lips forthcoming double album Embryonic have surfaced online. Convinced of the Hex and Silver Trembling Hands sound very promising; strange, atmospheric, and most importantly completely different to expectations.
It’s been 10 years since The Soft Bulletin saw The Flaming Lips evolve from the fearless freaks of the underground to become globally acclaimed pop-wierdo icons; and that journey has seen their songwriting take a background to lasers, balloons, confetti, UFOs and general playful gimmickry. Their 2006 release At War With The Mystics was fun, but ultimately a forgettable experience that offered little more than an excuse to take the celebratory circus of their live show around the world.
Pre-release feedback of Embryonic has been mixed, with long time fans declaring that other than Wayne Coyle’s distinctive voice; it sounds nothing like The Flaming Lips;which is good news considering the lacklustre stuff they’ve been doing since the amazing Yoshimi. There’s something a lot more dramatic and interesting unfolding in these new songs; a vintage B-movie psych feel, 60′s garage basslines and weird bleeps and hisses reminiscent of their early work…
As with any double album, there’s the danger doing a “Mellon Collie“; creating a bloated beast where the good material is smothered by filler. It’ll be interesting to see if The Flaming Lips follow through on these promising tracks and go about reinventing themselves; or succumb to double album syndrome – we’ll have to wait until September to find out.
The Flaming Lips – Silver Trembling Hands
The Flaming Lips – Convinced by the Hex
