MGMT
Oracular Spectacular
2008 Sony Records
Grade: A-
Career GPA: 4.0
By: Tim Wood
MGMT (aka Management) has made an album that includes sounds ranging from the 60's-the 90's, placed in a pop, psychodelic blender. Any fan of the Flaming Lips would love this record (interesting that the producer of the album, Dave Fridmann, is also the producer of the Flaming Lips). Singer, multi-instrumentalists, Ben Golwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden have created a near masterpiece, and it is only their first album - very impressive.
"Time to Pretend" could easily be a Flaming Lips song. With a stomping beat, fuzzed-out synths, and Wayne Coyne-like vocals from VanWyngarden, it truly delivers. The song makes you think - is the clichéd rock star life (money, drugs, model wives, etc.) worth the negative outcome? Maybe pretending to live the life might be the better option. Another standout track, "Electric Feel" blew me away when I first heard it. This funky bass line track sounds like it came out of the 70's disco era; however, Golwasser and VanWyngarden give it an eerie feel with soothing falsettos intertwined with laid back, atmospheric synths and guitars. It involves being totally turned on or aroused by a special female . They express their excitement with the catchy line, "Said ooh girl, shock me like an electric eel, baby girl, turn me on with your electric feel."
In some songs, VanWyngarden sounds straight up like a younger Mick Jagger. Check out "Weekend Wars" and "Pieces of What". These two songs include beautiful acoustic guitar playing and mystic vocal melodies.
There is never a dull moment in Oracular Spectacular. The melodies grab your attention and leave you wanting more. Not only is the music great, but these guys have something to say. In "The Youth", MGMT has a call to arms to all their young listeners in the world to live together as one. They try to install this optimistic view with lyrics that include, "in a couple years, tides have turned from boos to cheers and in spite of the weather, we can learn to make it together."
Previous Albums:
None
"Time to Pretend" could easily be a Flaming Lips song. With a stomping beat, fuzzed-out synths, and Wayne Coyne-like vocals from VanWyngarden, it truly delivers. The song makes you think - is the clichéd rock star life (money, drugs, model wives, etc.) worth the negative outcome? Maybe pretending to live the life might be the better option. Another standout track, "Electric Feel" blew me away when I first heard it. This funky bass line track sounds like it came out of the 70's disco era; however, Golwasser and VanWyngarden give it an eerie feel with soothing falsettos intertwined with laid back, atmospheric synths and guitars. It involves being totally turned on or aroused by a special female . They express their excitement with the catchy line, "Said ooh girl, shock me like an electric eel, baby girl, turn me on with your electric feel."
In some songs, VanWyngarden sounds straight up like a younger Mick Jagger. Check out "Weekend Wars" and "Pieces of What". These two songs include beautiful acoustic guitar playing and mystic vocal melodies.
There is never a dull moment in Oracular Spectacular. The melodies grab your attention and leave you wanting more. Not only is the music great, but these guys have something to say. In "The Youth", MGMT has a call to arms to all their young listeners in the world to live together as one. They try to install this optimistic view with lyrics that include, "in a couple years, tides have turned from boos to cheers and in spite of the weather, we can learn to make it together."
Previous Albums:
None
No comments:
Post a Comment