Christmas on Mars [PA] (CD - 2008)

Personnel: Michael Ivins (vocals, guitars, bass instrument); Steven Drozd (vocals, guitars, drums); Wayne Coyne (vocals, guitars); Kliph Scurlock, Scott Booker.

The soundtrack to the Flaming Lips homemade cult film, CHRISTMAS ON MARS, is as alluring, odd, and understated as the film itself. Those looking for a new batch of Flaming Lips pop songs won't find them; the score is entirely instrumental. But where the movie thrives on strange images and B-movie kitsch value, the music is sophisticated and sparkling, even given the occasionally odd song title ("Gleaming Armament of the Marching Genitalia").

Naturally, the Lips draw on their own brand of bright, pulsing psychedelia with dashes of noise-rock, but one can also hear the influence of film score composers like Ennio Morricone and Bernard Hermann, not to mention the lilting ambience of Brain Eno. A refreshing return to the Lips' earlier experimentalism, without sacrificing any of their seasoned maturity, CHRISTMAS ON MARS is an aural treat. minimize