So after what has been quite a lively and interesting start to the year the disappointments have been coming in thick and fast. It's no secret that the latest offering by MGMT has been received with rather mixed reviews.
I actually got hold of a copy a few weeks ago and I have been trying my best to find something lovable about Congratulations but it's really not an easy album to love. You do have to admire a band like MGMT who have received a modicum of success with their last album and Oracular Spectacular would've been such an easy album to rip off and put out a 'soundalike' successor. Instead MGMT have gone back deeper into their neo-psychadelic and prog roots which isn't as a big a journey as some reviewers would have us believe. Outside of the jump along singles of Oracular Spectacular (Kids and Electric Feel being the best of these) there was always a buch of tracks which verged on the strange and unlistenable. When I saw them live a couple of years ago this became even more acute...the overriding feeling was that this wasn't a 'singles band'.
Whether this is good or not for the band will no doubt take some time to work out. They have now a legion of dedicated fans who will stick by the band even after the Kids bandwagonjumpers have abandoned ship. I'm not sure in what group I'll be but I think it will take a more interesting album than Congratulations for me to make up my mind.
Anyway, here's something old and something new:
MGMT - Electric Feel
MGMT - Brian Eno (The best track from the new album)
Incidentally here's an interesting opinion piece on the issue of newer bands playing their 'hits' live. It's a subject which many people feel passionate about.
The Guardian - Why are new acts so reluctant to show us their hits?
have you guys seen the video for Flash Delirium http://www.whoismgmt.com
ReplyDeleteExtremely strange, but I love it!
Josef, I hadn't seen it but you're right it's strange but cool.
ReplyDelete