MGMT: Oracular Spectacular (2008)

New Wax


MGMT is young Brooklyn-based electro-psych duo Ben Goldwasser and Andrew Vanwyngarden. Oracular Spectacular is the group's driven and playful debut release, put together by Flaming Lips producer Dave Fridmann. The album's single "Time to Pretend" is an outright derision of modern pop-rock hedonistic lifestyles, although the track's lyrics seem to bleed confusingly into reality with lines like "This is our decision/to live fast and die young/we've got the vision/now lets have some fun." One look at the track's music video and you'll be just as confused. "Electric Feel" and "Kids" are the two dance tracks on the album. The former, more sensual (Ooh, girl/shock me like an electric eel), the latter more profound (Control yourself/take only what you need from him). Both will make you move when thumping through a good set of speakers. MGMT has been compared to Muse, Mew, Queen (honestly, pitchfork), Joy Division, and general psych-rock nostalgia. The truth is that each track on the album tries on such a different musical hat that any number of comparisons can be rightly made (except for Queen). If nothing else, Spectacular will give you at least a couple tracks for debuting your latest dance moves at the next disco. -- Bear

Listen:
MP3: MGMT - Time To Pretend
MP3: MGMT - Kids

Tags: MGMT, Oracular Spectacular, Review, Captain Obvious