Album Review: MGMT

Apr 03 2008 2:14 pm,

4.5

MGMT

‘Oracular Spectacular’

( Columbia)

 

Acid, and lots of it. There can be no other explanation for MGMT’s kaleidoscopic earpiece of a debut album - the New York duo put more ideas into three minutes than a Courteener has in a year. ‘Oracular Spectacular’, originally set for release in May but brought forward due to popular demand, and its brilliantly short attention-span ADDs its way through Brian Wilson-esque sunstroke-pop, Flaming Lips psychedelica and valium-soaked alt.folk like a 23^rd century Bowie.

Fellow New Yorkers Yeasayer and Vampire Weekend might arse around with bongos all in the name of world music, but their efforts sink into oblivion next to MGMT’s galactic sonic adventures. ‘Time To Pretend’ sounds like Wayne Coyne & Co. realigning the planets on an Axis of Epic, ‘Electric Feel’ struts like John Travolta’s great grandson in the 2120 remake of ‘Saturday Night Fever’ and ‘Kids’ resembles CSS sexing up Arcade Fire. Elsewhere, ‘Weekend Wars’ sounds like The Sleepy Jackson jumping into a blackhole with a copy of ‘Exile On Main Street’ tucked under their arm and ‘Of Moons, Birds & Monsters’ is the sort of woozy Americana that a wizardly Grandaddy might have once concocted.

Even if they weren’t armed to the teeth with songs of brain-crushing brilliance, MGMT would still conquer us just for the extent of their ridiculous, grand ambition. In an acronym, AMZG.

 

Niall Doherty

 

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