Psychedelic rock outfit The Flaming Lips are back with new music. The group has released their latest single, titled “Flowers of Neptune 6,” which features country artist Kacey Musgraves on backing vocals. Alongside their single, the group also released a music video for the track. The track opens with warm, fuzzy guitars as frontman Wayne Coyne’s vocals come into the track softly.

The track continues to build, with deep piano chords and synthesizers that color the song. As the track progresses, jangly guitars and a groovy bassline enter. This track brings the listener back to the ’70s era of rock, with smoky chords and echoey vocals. Musgraves’ voice is heard in harmony with Coyne’s, and the two blend together seamlessly.

The video for the track shows Coyne wrapped in an American Flag, wandering around a burning forest in a plastic hamster ball. Throughout the video, it cuts to Coyne singing passionately while tossing around the flag as a purple sunset surrounds him. Overall, “Flowers of Neptune 6” is a track that alludes to a sense of nostalgia.

Regarding “Flowers of Neptune 6,” Coyne stated that the track “…started off as a very evocative series of melodies that Steven Drozd had woven together. The first time he played it for me I was stunned by its emotional flow. The 3 sections (well they seem like sections to me) seemed to hint at an older, mature mind reflecting back into a journey from younger innocence then starting to learn and understand and keeps going into the panic of becoming one with the world.”

Coyne continued, stating that: “The opening lyric ‘Yellow sun is going down so slow…Doing acid and watching the light-bugs glow like tiny spaceships in a row…’ is the coolest thing I’ll ever know…and is a combination of blissful, innocent, psychedelic experiences that Steven and Kacey Musgraves (she sings harmony with me on the track) and myself all discussed.”

“Flowers of Neptune 6” is The Flaming Lips’ first release of the year. Back in 2019, they released their fifteenth album King’s Mouth. Recently, The Flaming Lips had to cancel their 2020 tour due to the Coronavirus.  The Flaming Lips also covered George Jones’ “He Stopped Loving Her” for the film Arkansas.

Photo Credit: Stephen Hoffmeister