Poetic pop, positively gorgeous at times....
This band confounds many people, but I really dig them. I have this album and The Soft Bulletin, and they are both pop masterpieces. This band gets compared to Pink Floyd quite a bit, but that's misleading. Lyrically, they can't touch Floyd, and musicially, they're not the same. However, The Flaming Lips are, I guess for lack of a better term, a space pop band, like ABBA with an almost Floydian vibe. Some of the melodies on this album are positively gorgeous, and the layered, thick production is a deep, poetic pop symphony. I especially love Fight Test, one of the Lips' best songs ever, the title track (both parts), and the really beautiful In the Morning of the Magicians (great title). Sometimes the lyrics are a bit obvious and kind of silly, but I believe these guys are sincere, and the melodies are so beautiful and beguiling you can drown out the sometimes subpar lyrics. This is a good album for those interested in getting into The Flaming Lips.