At War with the Mystics: Album Review

Artist: The Flaming Lips
Album: At War with the Mystics
Label: Warner Bros. Records
Recommended albums: The Soft Bulletin, Transmissions from the Satellite Heart, Clouds Taste Metallic, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Hit to Death in the Future Head

Every year some artist I really like disappoints me with their new album. Last year I felt that way about Beck and Mercury Rev (two artists linked to The Flaming Lips) and this year I feel that way about the new Flaming Lips' album. It's not a terrible record (please buy it and make up your own mind), but I just expect more....

Track 1 - A pretty good upbeat track. Unfortunately the lyrics come off like your dad lecturing you. "It's a very dangerous thing to do exactly what you want."
Track 2 - Wayne lectures another power monger/terrorist but this time in a falsetto. He insults the person by comparing them to Donald Trump. Otherwise the music is pretty good.
Track 3 - Wayne sympathizes with a depressed girl who's comparing herself to Britney Spears and Gwen Stefani. The mellow music isn't that interesting either.
Track 4 - Don't let the bastards get you down, Wayne is there for you. Another kinda boring track.
Track 5 - Imagine there's no heaven. Imagine there's no hell. Is it so bad? Another kinda boring track.
Track 6 - Kinda boring instrumental track with a slightly ominous Pink Floyd ending.
Track 7 - Kinda boring track. The stuff we can't see/understand can be scary. The first 3 1/2 mintues is real manic and the last 3 1/2 minutes slow way down (has he come to terms with it or has he decided that worrying is futile).
Track 8 - You heard this kinda boring track in a slightly different form on the Wedding Crashers soundtrack. "For everyone that dies, someone new is born."
Track 9 - An annoying track (my least favorite on the album). Like a bad, slow Daft Punk beat with Wayne lecturing you about your plastic surgery and wanting to punch you in the face.
Track 10 - This one's the first single and my favorite track. It's more rocking and a good combination of old and new Flaming Lips.
Track 11 - Steven sings lead on this one. It's a pretty good track about getting killed by a volcano. But without Wayne singing, it doesn't really sound like the Flaming Lips.
Track 12 - I like this one. It sounds a lot like the last two records.

Watch the Flaming Lips' "Bohemian Rhapsody" video HERE