Nobody embraces entropy like Black Lips. Atlanta's most notorious rag-tag group of psych-punk rockers rifle through venues (and, more recently, countries) with rabid exuberance and an utter lack of regard for their own well-being, leaving an indelible mark on anyone fortunate enough to be on the receiving end of their physical tirades. Their 2007 opus and first studio LP released on Vice, Good Bad Not Evil, provided a more polished depiction of their signature hooks, each too voracious to approach three minutes. But on 200 Million Thousand, Black Lips sound more comfortable with themselves, allowing cohesiveness to displace their trust in tempo, and embellishing hooks beyond what an earlier Black Lips record might have permitted.
The album's first single, ""Starting Over,"" is the best gateway to the Lips' new sound. Production-wise, it's a reversion to their earlier dirtier, lo-fi quality, but at a more tepid pace. The guitar introduces itself in a manner not unfamiliar to fans; Where on Good Bad Not Evil's ""Lean"" the rest of the band rushed into a flurry of drums and throaty yelps, ""Starting Over"" is content in its own relaxed groove.
Relaxation is also key to ""Let It Gow."" The apex of Black Lips' psychedelic influence, it would have fit in well 30 years ago on stage at Woodstock.
""Drugs"" is the clear standout track. The twangy guitars and incessant hook form a wrecking ball reminiscent of a surfing Exploding Hearts as much as a younger Black Lips. Fittingly, then, ""Drugs"" induces the most excitement and optimism about the future. Their entire tenure as underground rock's darlings has revolved around their inhuman ability to exist within chaos, but ""Drugs"" shows a new ability to envelop, and possibly even control it.
Although ""Drugs"" is the centerpiece of a new approach to bedlam, ""Take My Heart"" and ""Short Fuse"" are the offshoots that give the album most of its depth. If anything, they're where Black Lips' out-of-control nature meets more intricate musical talent, to great effect.
However, at times 200 Million Thousand is a little too spacey. The latter half of the record drags on with redundant chord progressions, but its bookends, ""Again & Again"" and ""Elijah,"" manage to keep the record afloat. The stagnant air in the songs shows the growing pains of a band once focused on only speed and disorder refining its sound to highlight talent instead of personas.
Black Lips might never record another Good Bad Not Evil, but their back catalog proves they don't need to. Good Bad Not Evil could have been the introduction the mass of followers needed to appreciate what the Lips had been doing for the seven years prior under the veil of obscurity. But 200 Million Thousand isn't a bridge back to their past. Instead, their instrumentation is tighter and their songs are more developed, paving the way for a more refined musical chaos. Like most things Black Lips tend to be, 200 Million Thousand is not void of missteps or imperfections, but it is a lot of fun.
