Last month we learned that the Flaming Lips would have a new song in the upcoming movie Ender’s Game based on Orson Scott Card’s famous sci-fi novel. Then it got even better when news came though that the song, “Peace Sword (Open Your Heart),” would be the title track of an EP of entirely new Dave Friddman-produced material inspired by the movie. After The Terror you should be pretty excited to see where the Lips are going next. “Think Like A Machine, Not A Boy,” is a somewhat of a departure from the acid-fried nightmare of that album.

The song features one of the prettier Wayne Coyne vocal takes we’ve heard in a long time over acoustic guitar, but it’s paired with incredibly ominous synthesizer blasts. There’s a lot of tension in it, but it can’t be stressed how unexpectedly pretty the track ends up being especially when you consider the darkness and dissonance of their music in the last couple years. It’s an interesting next step, though knowing these guys it’s impossible to say this is a sign of what’s to come. You can listen to “Think Like A Machine, Not A Boy” below now, buy the digital version next week, and find CD and vinyl copies next month during Record Store Day’s Black Friday release.

UPDATE: You can now stream “If They Move Shoot ‘Em” via NPR and hear the other tracks from the EP below.

(via The Daily Beast)

(via Spin)

(via Rolling Stone)

(via Pitchfork)

Peace Sword TRACKLIST
01 “Peace Sword (Open Your Heart)” – 5:11
02 “If They Move, Shoot ‘Em” – 5:39
03 “Is The Black At The End Good” – 6:22
04 “Think Like A Machine, Not A Boy” – 3:29
05 “Wolf Children” – 5:14
06 “Assassin Beetle – The Dream Is Ending” – 10:01

Peace Sword vinyl is out digitally next week, and on CD and vinyl 11/29 via Warner Brothers