Flaming Lips - At War with the Mystics

This album generally got worse reviews than Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, and from a certain perspective, that's accurate. Yoshimi has the hits: if the Flaming Lips are remembered in 100 years, it will be for "Do You Realize?" and that one Cat Stevens song that they "wrote." But there are also big lulls that encourage you (or me, at least) to skip ahead to the hits. At War with the Mystics is not only more of a consistent record, it's a really consistently good album. There are no songs worth skipping -- except maybe the first couple of tracks, which were unfortunately the ones that were promoted. The synthesizers achieve a pleasant orbit around Jupiter, but that doesn't stop them from accompanying some good, fun rock tunes. "It Overtakes Me," "Mr. Ambulance Driver," and "Goin' On" will never be as remembered as "Do You Realize?" But they do guide along an album that works far better together as a whole.