As with preceding albums, the Lips are uncompromising in the same way that The Mars Volta are uncompromising; allowing the overall concept and vision of the album to more or less jettison the more conventional alternative of transforming radio friendly melodies into album propelling singles. The ambulance siren that runs throughout the otherwise delightful ballad-esque chorus of the aptly titled 'Mr Ambulance Driver' is, if not somewhat distracting whilst driving, symptomatic of the afore mentioned; and it is fair to say that such an approach has been more rewarding for listeners in past outings than on 'Mystics'. Where previous Lips albums thrived on quirky distortions, odd bleeps, alarming screeches (see 'Yoshimi pt.2') and fuzzy production, this latest album contains, to be frank, too much bizarre content that really does nothing to enhance the record in any way. Listening to 'Mystics' one can't help but get the impression that their typically Floyd-like ambition for their records is, at least at this juncture, not as strident as it once was.

Even if the album does tend to be (for lack of a better term) a 'hit and miss' affair, there are, in spite of the band's aversion toward singles, some killer individual tracks on 'Mystics'. The Lips plainly signpost their new direction with opener, and single "The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song"; an exceedingly infectious, dance friendly, oddball of a song reminiscent of early Dandy Warhols', and fully equipped with some trusty, seemingly timeless 80s handclaps. The song itself, when coupled with what has to be the one of best film clips this year is sure to thrust the Lips further into mainstream consciousness. The lyrical content here proves more interesting again, with lead Lip Wayne Coyne surveying the potential misuse of political power in an amusing manner that proves pleasantly refreshing in stark contrast to the cynical and now tired anti-Bush spiel all music listeners have become accustomed to since the beginning of the Iraq War. The more direct "The W.A.N.D." (another first-rate single prospect) and "Free Radicals" are both politically concerned, the latter track's guitar recalling that of the White Stripes "Blue Orchid", whilst both Wayne Coyne's jumpy falsetto, and the overall economy here is reminiscent of Prince classic "Kiss". Conversely, the Pink Floyd sounding "The Wizard Turns on the Giant Silver Flashlight and Puts on his Werewolf Moccasins" (which must be lauded as the most fantastically ludicrous track title in recent history) is more conventional Flaming Lips, if there is such a norm.

And so despite having taken yet another detour in the series of detours that is the Flaming Lips discography, 'At War with the Mystics' sees Coyne and his band of supremely inventive oddities managing to sound like every band critics have ever used to contextualise them, and concurrently, like nobody but themselves. The resulting album is, well, half full of Flaming Lips classics that in turn, pays for itself in listening value many, many times over.