Released: 1999

The Soft Bulletin is the ninth album released by The Flaming Lips on May 17, 1999 in the UK, with a US release following on June 22, 1999. It was released to wide critical acclaim and hailed by critics as a departure from their previous guitar-heavy alternative rock sound, into a more layered and intricately arranged work. The album was considered to mark a change in the course for the band, with more traditional catchy melodies and accessible-sounding music (their previous album, 1997's Zaireeka, was a quadruple album of experimental sounds meant to be played on four separate stereo systems simultaneously) and lyrics that were more serious and thoughtful in content. The album was noted for its fusion of ordinary rock instruments, electronic beats and synthesizers. Its large, layered, symphonic sound has also earned it a reputation as the Pet Sounds of the 1990s from a few critics. The cover artwork of the album is a modified version of a photograph taken by Lawrence Schiller for a1966 Life magazine article on LSD. Read more on Last.fm.