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The Flaming Lips Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Released in 2002 9.3/10 Styles Experimental Rock Psychedelia Ambient Pop Song Highlights Fight Test Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (Part 1) Are You a Hypnotist? |
The Flaming Lips, brainchild of wildly eccentric frontman Wayne Coyne, have generally been renowned by critics as being brilliantly strange, and by many listeners as "that one hit wonder group who wrote 'She Don't Use Jelly' in 1994." Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, the Lips 12th album, is a very strong step in the direction of proving that the critics are the ones who got it right. The album is both brilliant and strange. The latter is apparent immediately, the former revealing itself over multiple listens of the album. Underneath the bouncy percussion of "In the Morning of the Magicians" and the wonderful instrumental chaos of "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (Part 2)," the album is one of extreme emotional peaks & valleys. On "Fight Test" Coyne recounts his regret at being a pacifist and, in turn, not being tough enough to win the girl. The bittersweet "Do You Realise" and "One More Robot/Sympathy 3000-21," a tale of machines learning how to feel and love, are both as moving as anything to be found on their critically acclaimed previous venture, The Soft Bulletin. Besides the more pop oriented singles, the catchy "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (Part 1)" and the previously mentioned "Fight Test," this is a very challenging album, both musically and lyrically. Not suprising, really, for a concept album based on Coyne's bizzare fascination with anime, heroism and the Power Rangers. The album unwinds telling the story of a brave fighter, a girl named Yoshimi, who must fight to save her city from destruction. It's crazy, imaginative stuff, dominated by slightly off-tune guitars, emotive baselines, synth effects and Coynes ever present, totally oddball lyrics. With an album so strikingly original, one can't help but get a little caught up in his fantasy. |