MGMT: MGMT
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Genre: Indie rock, Psychedelic rockPros:
Underneath the layers of fuzz and distortion are a few decent indie pop firecrackersCons:
Total rebellion from their last record; hard to maneuver through and tougher to lyrically exposeAnticipated sequel to Congratulations feels more like Sorry
Anticipated sequel to Congratulations feels more like Sorry
Last time we checked, Benjamin Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden dropped Congratulations, an epiphany of non-radio pop that actually smiled with the eccentric joys of experimental rock. It was a slight detour from their poppy debut album Oracular Spectacular, but showed off an unusual magical artistry. Their third disc, a self-titled one, is like a polar opposite. It’s strangely fabricated, tossed about with mysterious synths, chaotic layers, Mike Oldfield-meets-Frank Zappa intersections and wild, psychedelic dances. The melodies inside “Your Life Is a Lie” loop itself with an irritating reverberance. But these trippy adventures are actually meant to be delirious as the two-member unit chat about withering love (“A Good Sadness”), single life (“Plenty of Girls in the Sea”) and even Death telegrams (“I Love You Too, Death”). At times, it sounds like two or three songs are being played at the same time. If you took away much of the fuzz and eeriness aboard these tracks, particularly those that outline “Cool Song No. 2,” you might discover a decent set of accessible indie rock. Only the album opener, “Alien Days,” feels like it might be easy to rescue from the onslaught of cluttered noise that floods its last couple of minutes. Anyone expecting more of Congratulations should walk into this set with the intent of being confused and leaving lost. That might be just what MGMT anticipated for the listener. Sadly, it’s not convincing enough to garner universal acclaim. Artsy this might be when viewed on the cutting board in the studio, but it’s not all that great on the ear.
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