Concrete Academic

In 1991 my favorite band in the world, hands-down, was Pixies. Ask my wife. “Bossanova,” “Surfer Rosa” and “Doolittle” were the only cassettes in my car. I listened to them over and over and over again. They are still my favorite band to this day (although, The Smiths will always be right there).

Here’s the thing—in 1991 Pixies released “Trompe Le Monde.” Of course, I bought it the day it came out. I rushed out to the car and stuck it in the cassette deck and listened. I wanted to like it. It was difficult. On first listen (especially in 1991 when distortion hadn’t yet come into vogue) it sounded like a bunch of noise. And on second, third and fourth listen. I was starting to worry—was this the Emperor’s New Clothes? Had Black Francis lost it?

And then one day an interesting thing happened—it clicked. I finally understood it. The music was so new and groundbreaking that my brain had to rewire itself to grasp it. Suddenly songs like “Distance Equals Rate Times Time” and “The Sad Punk” made perfect sense…like a jigsaw puzzle that had assembled itself before my eyes. And now “Trompe Le Monde” is my favorite Pixies record.

Which brings us to “Embryonic.”

The Flaming Lips have not always been an easy listen. Their earlier records like “Transmissions From The Satellite Heart” and “Clouds Taste Metallic” take a few listens before you get into the groove.

That changed with “The Soft Bulletin,” an absolute masterpiece from 1999 (and up until now, my favorite Lips record). Even though it’s still strange, songs like “Race For The Prize” and “Waitin’ For A Superman” are catchy right off the bat. This trend continued with “Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots” where numbers like “Fight Test” and “Do You Realize??” (their biggest hit) grab you from the get-go and didn’t take a lot of effort to understand.

Their 2006 effort, “At War With The Mystics,” was slightly more experimental but not really difficult. “The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song” and “The W.A.N.D.” would appeal to even straight-up AOR rocker types, and “The Sound Of Failure” is simply beautiful.

But now Wayne Coyne and The Lips give us “Embryonic.” This double-length opus is every bit as strange and difficult as “Trompe Le Monde” was in 1991.

First, there is the production. The Flaming Lips had made a name for themselves as being geniuses in the studio. In fact, in one interview Wayne Coyne said he considered the studio itself to be an instrument. “The Soft Bulletin” and “Yoshimi” are recorded with such care and precision they are like vector files of music…no matter how large you expanded the sound it would still be crystal clear and resonant.

The production on “Embryonic” is something else altogether. Some of the songs sound like they were recorded on a broken Walkman. The first time I heard “Convinced Of The Hex” on a preview EP a few weeks ago, I thought the recording was messed up. It sounds like someone poured Diet Coke on the microphone. But I have to admit…after fifteen listens now, it’s one of my all-time favorite Lips songs, and I think the style of recording is one of the key reasons why.

The entire album is about mood. I don’t think there is a real “single” on this record. A radio station would think they received a damaged copy. But for mood, it’s becoming my favorite album on my iPod.

This is a record that is designed to be listened to from beginning to end. I guess you could compare it to Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” (except that album depresses me…sorry Bill). Listening to “Embryonic” is an experience. Songs like “Silver Trembling Hands” and “The Ego’s Last Stand” will stay with you long after listening. It feels like pure genius at work.

The highlight to me is a song called “The Impulse” that sounds like, of all things, a robot singing a torch song. I know that seems nutty, but it’s the number that grabs me the most every time I hear it.

To sum: most people won’t like this album at first—but be patient. In time, I have no doubt that “Embryonic” will be viewed as The Flaming Lips’ masterpiece.

My rating: 5 stars (out of 5)

Jeff Starr is a San Francisco-based Impressionist oil painter who concentrates on themes of Japan, Dreams, Europe and California.

http://www.jeffreydalestarr.com/