MGMT established their music as youthful and energetic electronic pop rock with their debut album, “Oracular Spectacular.” Their popularity grew quickly with the releases of “Kids,” “Electric Feel” and “Time to Pretend.”
With great anticipation surrounding their follow-up, “Congratulations,” MGMT could have gone in two distinct directions: create more of the pop electronic music that fans so admired from them, or venture into unfamiliar musical territory.
Of course, they chose the latter, creating a psychedelic rock album that still managed to infuse electronic elements into it. It was a clear separation from what had made them so popular, but it also served as a way for them to experiment with other genres that have inspired them.
All of this sets the stage for their latest, self-titled album, where they continue to push themselves as artists instead of getting comfortable in any particular genre or type of music.
The first song, “Alien Days,” succeeds at establishing the atmosphere of the album. It’s not the 60s and 70s psychedelic rock that inspired “Congratulations,” and it’s also not the electronic pop rock that characterized “Oracular Spectacular.” Rather, it’s an experimentation of familiar sounds and a push into a more mature direction—a direction where they seem more comfortable in their own skin. Several layers of synths, bleeps and bloops, percussion and grungy guitar fill the track, and this time they seem to have weaved these elements together in a new, unique way.
After the opening track, the album stretches into booming songs that have noticeably edgier melodies to them. The darker atmosphere of the songs combines with the build of unique sounds and unmistakably catchy rhythms to give the album an enthralling vibe.
It’s clear that MGMT knows how to create an accessible, fun song, but they have made it doubly clear that they want to pursue the inner recesses of their creativity in the process.
The mixture of pop accessibility, experimental rock and psychedelia is what makes this album refreshing and even gripping at times.
As the album unravels to its conclusion, the songs become even more experimental, psychedelic and spacious. Solid song structure begins to give way for uncertainty in where the songs are going next. It’s definitely more of a daring turn by the band, which gives way for an interesting listen.
This transition occurs right around, “A Good Sadness,” track six on the album. The song builds with a steady vision, all the while maintaining a mysterious nature. It gives the listener hope that this melodic experimentation will continue to interesting heights, but it ultimately devolves into songs that lack much luster or illumination for most of the second half of the album.
The moments where I was taken aback during this record were few and far between. Instead, I felt more like I was simply along for the ride of MGMT figuring out and embracing their kooky side.
Exceptions are “I Love You Too, Death,” where there’s a tremendous build throughout the song that is hypnotizing and rewarding, and “Plenty Of Girls In The Sea,” which stands out because of its unique doo-wop feel and noticeable shift in energy from the rest of the latter half of the album.
MGMT continues to show progress in developing and evolving their sound. They have clearly taken their more pop rock songs (predominantly from “Oracular”) with them as they dive deeper into the psychedelic rock/electronic genre, which gives the album an accessible undertone.
Despite a few songs that get lost in the shuffle, this album contains a lot of intriguing and refreshing material. It hardly marvels and takes the band to new sonic heights, but it’s ultimately an enjoyable album that provides a strong contribution to the present psychedelic electronic rock scene.
Standout tracks: