The Daily Spin, May 4
The Flaming Lips | Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
Welcome back to the Daily Spin, the series in which I review 365 albums during 2023.
Each album will be given a rating on a scale from 0 to 10. You can look at the entire set here. Additionally, you can check out a list of my favorite song from each album right here.
If you want to suggest an album, good news! You can do so right here!
Album: Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002)
Artist: The Flaming Lips
Link:
Oscillating between laser-tight production and freeform, flowing sound, Yoshimi stands out as a scatterbrained genius laid into album form. This is the Doofenschmirtz of albums, sort of.
In some ways, an album that moves from light songs about karate and robots and kickass fights that transitions into something a lot more contemplative seems like it would be simultaneously very much to my liking, but when I listen to it, I’m caught out moreso by the misses than I am the hits.
It’s the talent that makes these stark slips all the more apparent, because you hear the good work they lay out and are left feeling as though there’s no real strong reason for them to have mislaid things as they did. That said - when it’s good, it is so good. The production is near-perfect through the entire album, and the journey through sound is always comfortable, even when nonsensical.
Rating: 7.3/10
Best Tracks: Do You Realize??
Worst Tracks: It’s Summertime