'American Head' Review: Flaming Lips' trippy new album works like a 'switch' that brings relaxation
The Flaming Lips are set to release their new album 'American Head'. Due out on September 11, the new record is the latest addition to a massive collection of 21 studio albums and is a must-listen for fans.
With a total of 13 tracks, 'American Head' features a glorious set of cinematic-charged songs produced by the multi-Grammy-winning band and their longtime collaborator Dave Fridmann. The LP also features a surprise guest appearance by country superstar Kacey Musgraves, who provides backing vocals for 'God and the Policemen'.
In a press release, Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne reflected on the band's American persona which parallels with the album's title. "The Flaming Lips are from Oklahoma. We never thought of ourselves as an American band. I know growing up - when I was like 6 or 7 years old - in Oklahoma I was never influenced by, or was very aware of any musicians from Oklahoma," he said, explaining that "We mostly listened to the Beatles and my mother loved Tom Jones (this is in the 60's)... it wasn't till I was about 10 or 11 that my older brothers would know a few of the local musician dudes."
Coyne continues, "So... for most of our musical life (as The Flaming Lips starting in 1983) we've kind of thought of ourselves as coming from 'Earth'... not really caring where we were actually from. So for the first time in our musical life, we began to think of ourselves as 'an American band', telling ourselves that it would be our identity for our next creative adventure."
He adds, "We had become a 7-piece ensemble and were beginning to feel more and more of a kinship with groups that have a lot of members in them. We started to think of classic American bands like The Grateful Dead and Parliament-Funkadelic and how maybe we could embrace this new vibe."
Speaking of the new album, Coyne says it all comes down to a specific feeling: "A feeling that, I think, can only be expressed through music and songs." Coyne explains, "We were, while creating it, trying to not hear it as sounds... but to feel it."
Referring to some of the LP's individual themes, he says, "Mother's sacrifice, Father's intensity, Brother's insanity, Sister's rebellion...I can't quite put it into words. Something switches and others (your brothers and sisters and mother and father...your pets) start to become more important to you...in the beginning there is only you... and your desires are all that you can care about...but something switches." He notes, "I think all of these songs are about this little switch."
Upon hitting play, 'American Head' instantly comes off as euphoric as it showcases the band's most sublime state. The psychedelic energies appear as an offering to lead you to your "switch" rather than let you sink into a pit of darkness or sadness. The warm sounds help you let go of the sorrow and self-gratification with the feeling of euphoria that comes with the discovery of one's true self. In short, 'American Head' is the marriage of revelation and bliss.
With titles such as 'Dinosaurs on the Mountain', 'Watching the Lighbugs Glow' and the album's colorful lyrics, the new album is either a guide to your awakening or to the mindlessness that comes with fleeting pain. Either way, the album's dreamy nature is successful in making you relax. You don't need to be high on any drug to float with the trip that is 'Flowers of Neptune 6': the swirl of the synth and vocals backed by breezy acoustic guitar and hum of the coffee-smooth bassline are an ode to mesmerism.
With tracks such as 'Mother I've Taken LSD' and its lyrics like "Now I see the sadness in the world. I'm sorry I didn't see it before. Now I see the sadness in the world. Sad, sad, sad, sad," we see that the album is also mildly coated with pessimism. The up-tempo 'When We Die When We're High' takes a dip into otherworldly rock tones and tells a story with its instruments. Over a snare-centered beat and mallet rambling without any vocals, the track is what it wants to be and much like the rest of the album, is left to interpretation. The Kacey Musgraves-featured track 'God and the Policeman' delivers a sugary piano ballad with the country singer stepping into a totally new realm of music that surprisingly suits her vocal style.
'American Head' has a lot to offer without any pretentiousness. It is an album that dwells in its own emotional artistry rather than trying to be too serious or dramatic and if you enjoy classic psychedelic rock we highly recommend it.