Album Review of The Flaming Lips - American Head

BY NEAL MARTIN | SEPTEMBER 02, 2020

In the 17 years since I first blighted music criticism with a monthly musical recommendation, I have only ever received one new release in advance, namely The Pipettes debut in 2004. There I was, clutching my promo CD, convinced that it was only a matter of time before the NME or Rolling Stone fight it out over my penmanship. The phone never rang. The Pipettes never troubled the top of the charts and remain a lost post-millennial gem, though lead singer Gwenno subsequently enjoyed critical and commercial success as a solo artist. Anyway, this month’s recommendation, The Flaming Lips’ American Head, constitutes the second album that I am reviewing before general release. Alas, that is not because music cognoscenti have awoken to yours truly being a modern-day Lester Bangs or Tony Parsons, rather that someone at their record company dispatched my pre-ordered album by mistake.