MGMT
MGMT
Reviewed by: Stephen Krock
MGMT have been indie darlings for several years now. Facebook erupts with excitement from all my hipster friends whenever they’re in town. For good reason, since 2007’s Oracular Spectacular, they have always been exciting and new. However, their debut was always a little rough on the ears for this reviewer’s taste. Some songs are psychedelically delightful and some just repetitive and noisy. But the experimentation was always impressive and fun.
Here, on their third and self-titled album, they come upon somewhat of a catch-22. They know what works, they know their sound, and they deliver. But at cost of experimentation. Love. No longer exciting and new. That Love Boat has sailed. For better or for worse, who can say? Well, I guess I can.
MGMT opens with standard MGMT trippiness in “Alien Days” and “Cool Song No. 2.” With the easygoing strumming of a guitar pleasantly interspersed into the high production of the former and the kicky tambourine in the latter. The album’s highlights include the refreshingly organic, 60s folksy pop ditty “Introspection” and the powerful “Your Life Is A Lie,” reminiscent of classic Bowie. A handful of awesomely atmospheric fare wraps up these ten tracks. With said atmosphere being Burning Man as it’s starting to settle down. The bouncy blast that is “Plenty of Girls In The Sea” sneaks in there as well. Its storytelling spirit in the vein of They Might Be Giants.
While this album is certainly easier on the ears, it sacrifices the more fresh and youthful feeling of its predecessors.
Rating: Listenable
