MGMT - Oracular Spectacular [CD]

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May 26, 2008, 03:31 PM

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Picture a blank page, not even one of a big size, and you'll start having an idea of my knowledge of MGMT prior to approaching their album "Oracular Spectacular". Having no expectations sometimes is good, as there is no pressure of "previously-heard" or "previosuly-described". Based on this, a blank page is probably a good start then I guess.

What I wouldn't have guessed about these two guys from Brooklyn is that, most of the (not even so undeground) music listeners know them already far too well. Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden have -conciously or not- laid down all the basics to set themselves up to become something big.

One thing you might not take into account when you try to foresee success, is that popularity comes in unusual ways. Even if your songs aren't played on the radio, or your faces aren't seen on any billboards doesn't pay any odds for these guys! The band's lead single "Time to Pretend" (and first song off the album) has hit so hard that it entered the weekly last.fm top 10 chart. Other bands keeping them company on this Top 10 are Death Cab For Cutie (their new album came out a couple of weeks ago), Radiohead (InRainbows has taken over the listening charts since it's realease in late 2007) and Muse (still with Starlight, apparenly sentenced to be one of the new-rock classics since it achieved maintenance on the actual-listening charts even if the single is nearly 2 years old now) just to give you an idea.

Most of the songs on "Oracular Spectacular" give you the feeling that these guys have kidnapped a 70's synthetizer and all the best tricks from the 80's electronic sound and gathered them all together (and more!) in the 10 songs that grace their debut album. Listen to "Electic Feel" or "The Handshake" with its Barbarella-like effects, and you'll see, or better said, hear what I mean. Not one of the songs on this album miss a catchy, hooky riff, which is usually (wisely) put at the beginning of the song, giving it its identity from the get-go. Beware of the song "Kids" as it might just tempt you into putting the song on an infite loop.

The best thing about MGMT is that, unlike most artists of the electronic genre, they don't need to sacrifice good, catchy tunes in order to demonstrate that they are experimenters nonetheless. This appears to be the formula to their well-deserved high position in the aforementioned listeners charts, which I think, is fated to climb even higher.

Just to re-iterate... beware of the song "Kids" because it truly is an addictive tune, so much so that I wouldn't be surprised to see it become their next single.

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