Flaming lips soft bulletin and power is the thing

ItвЂ™s almost a song in three movements as CoyneвЂ™s yearning and almost wounded vocals about his bleeding face. вЂњThe Spark That BledвЂќ is another wonderfully beautiful and complex song. It takes all that I have in me to not raise my hands to the sky as Coyne sings вЂњ they lifted up the sun!вЂќ But the song that really goes for the gusto is вЂњA Spoonful Weighs a Ton.вЂќ It begins innocently enough, with fairy tale strings and a sunny atmosphere but leads into a fuzzed out bass and sharp drums that have been turned way up. The album kicks-off with swirly synths in a whopper of a go-getter track, вЂњRace for the Prize.вЂќ ItвЂ™s a carnival of a song, as Wayne Coyne sings about two scientists in his distinctive voice. ItвЂ™s as close to a Spector-like Wall of Sound as indie rock can get.

But just as he did wonders with his own Mercury RevвЂ™s DeserterвЂ™s Songs, Fridmann makes the songs sound dense but never muddled. ThereвЂ™s a lot going on in these songs, layer upon layer of strings, drums, keys, you name it. Since the release of The Soft Bulletin, Fridmann has been employed by a wide range of artists, from The Delgados to Sleater-Kinney, but I still believe that itвЂ™s his work with The Flaming Lips that shows exactly what kind of tricks heвЂ™s got up his sleeve. The secret to The Soft BulletinвЂs success lies in producer Dave Fridmann. I find that after almost every time I listen to it, I appreciate my time on this planet a little more. More than anything, itвЂ™s an album that cherishes and celebrates life.

The Soft Bulletin is a densely packed, multi-layered sonic landscape that is both plaintive and optimistic. No question, there was potential for The Flaming Lips to make a truly great album, but to make something so profoundly great as The Soft Bulletin? IвЂ™m sorry, but вЂњ She DonвЂ™t Use JellyвЂќ doesnвЂ™t quite foretell that. Sure, there were glimpses of greatness in Transmission from the Satellite Heart and Hit To Death on the Future Head even the mind-boggling mass of Zarieeka had its moments. Before The Soft Bulletin was released, few would have thought that The Flaming Lips would be capable of creating an album of such beauty, joy, poignancy and unique value.

Flaming lips soft bulletin and power is the thing