Over the course of a 33-year career, The Flaming Lips have always presented a solid psychedelic rock sound. Although this sound has sometimes been altered on albums such as “With a Little Help from My Fwends,” their Beatles tribute album and “Imagene Peise — Atlas Eets Christmas,” their Christmas album, the psych rock influences were consistently present. Unlike these past albums, “Oczy Mlody” presents a much more synthesized, formulaic and electronic sound in comparison with a few subtle allusions to their original style.
The album starts off with the title song “Oczy Mlody,” a light, ambient piece with a delicate synth riff. The brief song sets the tone for the rest of the album, slowly layering the wispy, lithe melody on top of the deep, rumbling bass that runs throughout the piece. This pointed layer is then decomposed and peeled away as it transitions into “How??” which has a similar build to the preceding piece. In the tune, lead singer Wayne Coyne’s passionate croon is lightly overlaid against the similar spinning and soft bassline from the first song.
These stylistic themes are further used and intensified in the third song “There Should Be Unicorns.” The layers become more simplified while the melody is overlaid with airy harmonies — a welcome change from the first two songs. While these themes create smooth transitions from one song to the next, the style starts to feel redundant.
Thankfully, the album does not continue on this thread. The psych rock style that brought The Flaming Lips their success is evoked on some songs later in the album. For instance, in the nearly eight-minute epic “Listening To The Frogs With Demon Eyes,” a more natural, simplified style is evoked. With a soft guitar riff and even a beautiful piano solo, Coyne’s vocals and melodies shine. This less complex technique is combined with the more synth-heavy style from the first few songs on the next song “The Castle.” The electronic ballad is a balance between The Flaming Lips’ present and past. It is dark yet jovial in its purity as Coyne tells the story of a girl lost in her sadness.
The album culminates in its final song “We A Family.” This was the final single released before the album came out. Though slightly overproduced, the positive and bright anthem combines the best aspects of their new, experimental sounds with the psych rock foundations of past albums. “We a Family” ties the bow on “Oczy Mlody” — showcasing the versatility of The Flaming Lips and what we could expect from the band’s future albums.
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