So, when I first heard of the band the Black Lips I thought, "Oh great... this band is gonna suck. I can tell, because they have a composite band name something between The Flaming Lips and The Black Keys. They are just trying to ride the success associated with other bands!" Well, in retrospect I can say that I might have acted a little bit neurotic and paranoid.The Black Lips are great. And they have plenty of success of their own to ride. The four guys that make up this Atlanta-based band have been together since age 15, and they are now 23 years old. Good Bad Not Evil is the title of their newest album, and though they have release several other recordings, this is their first pro record.
Black Lips are a rare sound on the market right now employing traces of Blues, Psychedelic, and Garage Rock to complete their sound. If you are not a fan of psychedelic, don't worry. The sound effects on this album relate more to a subtle inclusion of an altered state of mind, rather than an in-your-face, trippy, head-spinning ride. This isn't just noise, it's great songwriting littered with audio intellect.
Track 1, "I Saw a Ghost (Lean)" is fashioned after 1960's underground rock tunes. It's a buzzy song with droning, Iggy-esque vocals. And the psychedelic elements on this track include (what sound like) reversed orchestral dubbing and reversed lead guitar with that sucking sound that is so very sweet to me.
Track 2 is another favorite of mine. "O Katrina" is a song dedicated to those affected by the hurricane Katrina. The lyrics equate hurricane Katrina to a mean/lovely woman who treats her man unfairly. The song progresses from a buzzy percussion-based intro to a heaving, greaving dum-dum tune that when performed live has a great potential for leaving one's ears ringing with pleasure.
All the tracks on this album are great. but I just wanted to share a few of my favorites with you. Definitely check out this new album and this wonderful band.
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