Purveyors of ear-bendingly twisted pop hooks, amping up melody and moodwith deep growling keys and left-field curves, MGMT (previously known asthe Management) is an american synthpop band based in Brooklyn, New York comprising Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden.The self-styled 70s futurists recently released their debut album,Oracular Spectacular, experimenting with noise rock and electronica before settling on "shapeshifting psychedelic pop".
They might look like hippies but they are credible, fascinating, boundary-pushing artistic originators; successfully combining infectious beats with sarcastic lyrics.
MGMT is anything but predictable... and it shows in the lyrics too.
"Let's make some music, make some money, find some models for wives.I'll move to Paris, shoot some heroin and f*** with the stars", goes the Abba meets Velvet underground opening track Time To Pretend.
This is already one of the most-quoted lyrics of 2008. With its tweeting synthsand clattering drums, it tells the oh-so-droll tale of the desire to"live fast and die young".
Electric Feel pulls influences from early funk and electroclash, while Kids is probably its catchiest tune on the album, mixing Brit pop with synth sounds, repeating the tricks of Time to Pretend, pushing the same buttons and achieving a similar high level of electro-pop nirvana.
The Middle-Easterny 4th Dimensional Transition is just as trippy as the name implies, while Weekend Wars is pure ear candy distinguished by sweeping electro and snarky lyrics, sounding very much like a dopedup Rolling Stones track spliced with a tempo-shifting superior Scissor Sisters tune.
Of Moons, Birds & Monsters is a beautiful and autumnal-like PinkFloyd-meets-Mamas and Papas effort.
Oracular Spectacular is as playful, uplifting and involving a record as you'd hope to hear.
This surely is a fun album to enjoy. - NST 31/08/2008
No comments:
Post a Comment