Reviews (page 11 of 15)
5 start first half
Nunca voy a entender como MGMT tiene tan buena musica, Sean tan reconocibles y aun asi no tengan un nivel de fama tan alto. Quiero echarle la culpa a TikTok pero bueno. Este album se siente muy fresco e innovador, siento que si saliera hoy en día dirían que es revolucionario, y si que lo es. Little Dark Age es muy buen proyecto pero siento que no existiría jamas algo similar sin Ocultar Spectacular. Es un 10/10. Amo mucho este record y sin duda lo escucharé nuevamente.
One of the better indie rock albums from the late 2000s. A clean use of electronic into the indie rock too.
This is a good example of why you shouldn’t judge an album by its cover art. Looking at this, I was expecting “millennial bros make music whining about first world problems.” The end result was actually far more tolerable, albeit ordinary. Seriously, nothing here I haven’t heard before.
Fun for background dance music, but none of the songs stood out to me. 3.5
I would not have expected to like an album described as spiking "rock star cliches and acid-induced paranoia with millennial angst and hipster snark" so much but here we are. I definitely remember hearing Electric Feel before. 3.5 rounded up.
I was familiar with several of the tracks, but I enjoyed the rest of them, too.
An indie delight. Maybe because it’s tied up with my childhood and early teenage years but I don’t think there’s a track I don’t like.
relisten. this album perfectly captures the coming of age experience. it meat to me a lot when i was a teenagers saying goodbye to my childhood and it means a lot to me now that im still new to being an independent adult and miss my carefree years. the music and lyrics cover everything related to growing up and leaving home. the nostalgia, the desire to experience new things and decide for yourself, the freedom, the fear of what the future might bring, not wanting to come back but remembering when you're from, not recognizing the place you once called home anymore, the community, the loneliness. I absolutely love the way they introduced some post apocalyptic themes to it all because they fit the concept of the album perfectly. The last line of Future Reflections that also happens to be the last line of the album hold a special place in my heart. "There's a sea outside my door and one day I'll appreciate the rush of blood and the washed out beat of the shore and remember what it felt like to be alone." MGMT is a very important band to me. I think all of their other albums are as worth giving a listen as this one. Even though they are all completely different, i could never mistake them for anything else. They truly mastered their own unique sound and know exactly what to do with it without repeating themselves.
Time to Pretend- iconic sounding song that I’ve definitely heard before, it’s nice, possible save in the future Weekend Wars- barely remember it The Youth-it’s ok, too chill Electric Feel- eh Kids- eh again 4th Dimensional Transition- forgettable Pieces of What- literally blanked out on this one Of Moons, Birds and Monsters- Boring The Handshake- Nothing here Future Reflections- Asleep
Hmmm. I heard a couple of these songs as background on a couple of early reels my daughter created back when she was a teenager. Best in the background.
Guys going through some growing pains Brings back good memories playing this when it first hit. Very thematic: the guys were definitely going through some growing pains. Nice production innovations.
This is a good example of a popular sounding album. Good album, nice sound, easy to listen to. I wasn't overly blown away but they clearly know what they're doing. I wish I could have picked out a specific moment or song but most of it weaved together.
Some interesting choices. Has it's moments. Bowie influence is in here. Prince influence is in here. No longer on the list.
Rock, Pop, 2007 -> 2
saltburn reference 🔥yea this album slaps. such memorable hooks and unique sounds. no one does it like mgmt and no has since. the opener alone makes this a classic. could def see myself coming back to this
🤮 Disappointed we can't do negative stars.
**Oracular Spectacular** by MGMT: An In-Depth Review **Introduction** Released in 2007, "Oracular Spectacular" is the debut studio album by the American rock band MGMT. Comprising core members Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser, the band garnered significant attention with this release, marked by its eclectic mix of psychedelic pop, indie rock, and electronic influences. This review delves into the album's lyrics, music, production, themes, and its broader influence on the music industry, highlighting both the strengths and weaknesses of this seminal work. **Lyrics** "Oracular Spectacular" is noted for its surreal and introspective lyrics, often imbued with a sense of youthful idealism and existential pondering. The lyrics range from whimsical and fantastical to reflective and critical of contemporary society. 1. **Time to Pretend**: The opening track serves as a tongue-in-cheek commentary on the rockstar lifestyle, juxtaposing idealized fame with the inevitable disillusionment that accompanies it. Lines like "I'll move to Paris, shoot some heroin, and fuck with the stars" paint a vivid picture of hedonistic fantasies, while the chorus ("This is our decision, to live fast and die young") encapsulates the fleeting nature of youth and ambition. 2. **Kids**: This song explores themes of innocence and the loss of childhood wonder. The repetitive line "Control yourself, take only what you need from it" suggests a critique of consumerism and the pressures of growing up, while the nostalgic tone reflects a longing for simpler times. 3. **Electric Feel**: With its sensuous and almost mystical imagery, "Electric Feel" portrays a visceral connection to nature and human emotion. The lyrics "Ooh girl, shock me like an electric eel" use metaphor to evoke the electrifying experience of love and connection. **Music** The music of "Oracular Spectacular" is a rich tapestry of genres, blending psychedelic rock, synth-pop, and indie elements to create a sound that is both nostalgic and forward-looking. 1. **Instrumentation**: The album features a diverse array of instruments, including synthesizers, electric guitars, and traditional rock setups. The use of lush, layered synths and reverb-heavy guitars creates a dreamy, expansive soundscape that draws listeners into MGMT's otherworldly vision. 2. **Melody and Harmony**: The melodies are catchy yet complex, often shifting unexpectedly to keep the listener engaged. Songs like "Kids" and "Electric Feel" are built around infectious hooks, while tracks like "The Youth" and "Weekend Wars" feature more intricate harmonic progressions. 3. **Rhythm and Beat**: The album's rhythmic foundation is equally diverse, ranging from the driving beats of "Time to Pretend" to the laid-back grooves of "Of Moons, Birds & Monsters." This rhythmic versatility adds to the album's dynamic and unpredictable nature. **Production** Produced by Dave Fridmann, known for his work with The Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev, the production on "Oracular Spectacular" is both polished and experimental. 1. **Sound Design**: Fridmann's influence is evident in the album's expansive, cinematic sound. The use of reverb and delay effects creates a sense of space and depth, while the careful layering of sounds ensures that each track feels lush and full. 2. **Mixing**: The mixing balances the various elements effectively, ensuring that no single component overwhelms the others. This is particularly important given the album's dense arrangements and wide array of sonic textures. 3. **Innovation**: The production on "Oracular Spectacular" pushes the boundaries of conventional pop and rock music. The willingness to experiment with unconventional sounds and production techniques gives the album a unique character and sets it apart from its contemporaries. **Themes** Thematically, "Oracular Spectacular" explores a range of subjects, from the disillusionment of adulthood to the beauty and complexity of human experience. 1. **Youth and Nostalgia**: Many of the songs reflect a sense of nostalgia for childhood and a critique of the adult world. This is evident in tracks like "Kids" and "The Youth," which lament the loss of innocence and the pressures of conformity. 2. **Existential Reflection**: Songs like "Time to Pretend" and "The Handshake" delve into existential themes, questioning the meaning of success and the pursuit of happiness in a materialistic society. 3. **Nature and Mysticism**: Tracks such as "Of Moons, Birds & Monsters" and "Future Reflections" evoke a sense of wonder and connection to the natural world, blending mystical imagery with environmental consciousness. **Influence** "Oracular Spectacular" has had a significant impact on both the indie and mainstream music scenes. 1. **Cultural Impact**: The album's singles, particularly "Time to Pretend," "Kids," and "Electric Feel," became anthems of the late 2000s, defining the sound of the era and influencing countless artists in the years that followed. 2. **Genre Blending**: MGMT's seamless blending of genres paved the way for a new wave of artists who were unafraid to mix electronic and rock elements. Bands like Tame Impala and Passion Pit have cited "Oracular Spectacular" as a key influence on their own work. 3. **Visual Aesthetics**: The band's distinctive visual style, combining retro and psychedelic elements, also left a lasting mark on the music video and fashion landscapes, inspiring a revival of interest in 60s and 70s aesthetics. **Pros and Cons** **Pros:** 1. **Innovative Sound**: The album's blend of genres and experimental production techniques set it apart from other releases of its time. 2. **Strong Singles**: Tracks like "Time to Pretend," "Kids," and "Electric Feel" are memorable and impactful, each becoming iconic in its own right. 3. **Lyrical Depth**: The lyrics are thoughtful and often poignant, exploring complex themes with a mix of humor and sincerity. 4. **Production Quality**: Dave Fridmann's production is lush and detailed, creating a rich listening experience. **Cons:** 1. **Inconsistency**: Some tracks, such as "4th Dimensional Transition" and "Pieces of What," feel less cohesive and polished compared to the standout singles. 2. **Overproduction**: At times, the dense layering of sounds can feel overwhelming, potentially alienating listeners who prefer a more stripped-down approach. 3. **Abstract Lyrics**: While often a strength, the abstract and surreal nature of the lyrics can sometimes make it difficult for listeners to connect with the songs on a personal level. 4. **Pacing**: The album's pacing can feel uneven, with the energy and momentum dipping in the middle section before picking up again towards the end. **Conclusion** "Oracular Spectacular" by MGMT remains a landmark album in the indie and electronic music scenes. Its innovative sound, thoughtful lyrics, and high production quality make it a standout release, despite some inconsistencies and moments of overproduction. The album's influence continues to be felt, inspiring a new generation of artists and leaving an indelible mark on the musical landscape of the 21st century.
Feels like I just got high and I’m in my parents basement trying not to wake them up while watching music videos
Sounds like the background for commercials. It’s good but not like blowing away anything.
Good album knew quite a few songs, surprisingly
Green Team Xtreme
Great electro pop sound and catchy hits
A desert island album!
Time to pretend- sounds like a new 'hip and cool' Old Navy advertisement. weekend wars - dip can core. early bowie years sound. sounds like teeth melting but in a pleasant way (i love it) the youth - this isn't a song it's strangely whimsical video game bgm electric feel - i fuck with this song but only for like a minute. like im not gonna go look for it i will enjoy the vibes while its on kids - it's a classic and technically incredible however i am never happy to hear it 4th dimensional transmission - very art very cool but not great for just jamming to pieces of what - beautiful and jarring in like a violent femmes kinda way of moons, birds and monsters - this song sounds like it was made on and for psychedelics. plays like a smooth rollercoaster. fucking incredible guitar. the handshake - giving pink floyd the wall vibes. final act of an opera vibes. future reflections - sounds like a song that would play on the ending credits of a movie which is a super cool way to wrap up an album. This album really felt like it was calling back to the psychedelic 70's rock opera albums where it tells a story from start to finish. The experimental signature 'MGMT' sound tapers off toward the end so the last half of the album is less interesting. A great listen overall as an artistic experience, but not what i would just sit around and jam to. Favs: Of moons birds and monsters, weekend wars Least fav: 4th dimensional transmission
Album doesnt hit the same after you turn 30
Solid pop music. A review quoted on Wikipedia says, "the songs never feel insincere" and I find that one of the strong points of the album. Oracular Spectacular is delightfully sprinkled with familiar, nostalgia inducing songs, a good ease into this project while still getting exposed to new tunes. Strikes me as kind of a reluctant coming of age album. I think in part it's due to associations with the time period, but just as much, it's focused on youth culture. Great balance of carefree and aware that, again, makes for solid pop music.
the hits are HITS. the others are mid
Listened to this album three times. Need to see what motivated the artists- I think this album came out when I was in late high school? heavy nostalgic lyrics and vibes helped it age perfectly.
I'm so excited to start with this album! I'm familiar with a lot of their songs but have never listened to any MGMT albums in full. I've always known I would like them but just never got around to digging in. On first listen, I found tracks 6+7 less polished and less compelling. Pulled me back in with tracks 8+9, then track 10 was fine. On second listen, I REALLY liked track 6! It made more sense with the context of the whole album versus just my prior experience with the singles. Track 7 was also better and I could especially hear similarities between it and Little Dark Age in in some of the riffs. Track 10 stood out more on second listen. The first half of the album (where the singles lives) is definitely stronger than the latter half of the album. In general, the popular singles are justified standouts. First half of the album felt basically perfect both as individual songs and as a cohesive piece while the second half was more deconstructed and less immediately accessible. Overall, really liked this album like I've always known I would!!!! It does have a clear \"first half\" and \"second half,\" which prevents it from sounding perfectly cohesive, but in a way that had me asking \"is it on purpose?\" I caught myself thinking \"How did I get here from Time to Pretend?\" but not in a negative way. It's cool coming back and listening to Oracular Spectacular for the first time in 2024. Easy to hear where their more recent work has grown from, and it's nice to see a logical progression from this album to 2018's Little Dark Age (I listened to the singles from LDA a LOT). I think they have only become more polished since this album. Really glad this project has pushed me to finally sit down and listen to it. I think I would listen to this album again, but will probably mostly stick to the songs I most like on it versus listening to it all of the way through. Weekend Wars, The Youth, and The Handshake were standouts to me.
Nr. 177/1001 Time to Pretend 4/5 Weekend Wars 3/5 The Youths 3/5 Electric Feel 4/5 Kids 5/5 4th Dimensional Transition 3/5 Pieces of What 3/5 Of Moons, Birds & Monsters 4/5 The Handshake 3/5 Future Reflections 4/5 Average: 3,6 Fun mix of pop & electronica.
Correcto.
Nice. I stand corrected. As a Gen X fart, I allow myself to not be super interested in whatever reaches radio play popularity among the Y&Z generations and so had only cursory knowledge of MGMT. Was only a few months ago that I decided to like 'Kids' and I had equaled this band to what they sound like on 'Electric Feel'. Eclectic Dirty Disco with BeeGees voices. A designed product, nicely suited to sell lifestyle products with. Instead I found drugged up psychedelic Glitter Rock! Very pleasant surprise. "Of Moons, Birds & Monsters" will probably get upwards of 17 plays today.
Great music. Loved it when it came out and still do.
A classic album from the 2000s. Found a couple of new songs I liked - 4th Dimensonal Transition and Of Moons, Birds & Monsters 365 Days has ruined Electric Feel for me a bit...I can't hear 'babygirl' without thinking of Massimo 🤢
Love this album. Always a fun listen just not for everyday listening imo
Yeah this one just didn't do much for me :kanatasleeper: Favorite Track: Of Moons, Birds , and Monsters
4 Songs in. If everything is as good as these first 3 tracks (I've heard Electric Feel before), this is gonna be an EASY 5 star. Upon finishing the album, the back half kinda falls off. It's still alright, but I went from "every song is now in my likes" to "80%". Which means this is a perfect 4/5 in every shape of the name. Gonna be real funny when I check the global average and discover that people hate this album or something.
first track is one of my favorite mgmt tracks ever. something about the hard synths and then the raucous drums hits like nothing ever has second track is wildly different, almost early beatles in soul third track is like an anthem of a generation. somber and urgent and plaintive I SAID OOH GIRL 💃🕺💃🕺💃🕺💃 (track 4) damn this shit comes all the way back from high school. downloading the music videos off youtube and putting them on my ipod (track 5) not a lot to say about tracks 6 and 7 Overall phenomenal album incredible for history
75/100 Favourite Song: Electric Feel
Fun pop, very mick jagger vocal
This isn't for me—I was counting down the minutes until it would end the entire time. A few tracks do have some interesting instrumentation but in VERY limited doses. If I'm honest, unfortunately, several tracks on this album were and are still WAY too overplayed, and I'm just burned out from ever hearing them again, ever.
This one just didn't do it for me. I feel like it's probably objectively better than I'm giving it credit for, but personally it didn't work. 2.4.
This did not click with me.
Fantastic record. Nostalgic too. Don't like much electronic music but, this is how it should be done.
That synth sound is so annoying. Couldn't get over it. There are moments but not enough to earn a passing grade.
great vibes.
The tracks that are well known off this album are well known for good reason, unfortunately the rest of the album is a bit uninspiring.
I mean... it's fine. Packed with 'oh I know that song', but I didn't feel so jubilant as I normally do because, well, it's 'Kids'. I don't really get the hype or why it's important? They sound like twenty one pilots would if they had to write each song in 10 minutes. But their spotify about tells me that makes me 'objectively wrong', so.
The 2 singles are interesting, but the rest is a a little meh.
Made writing a hit song look easy on some of these. Some songs are so-so though 3*
Really great example of indy-rock gone mainstream, which was what most mainstream rock turned into in the 2000s. This really is a great album. It has some incredible highs and no real serious lows. Really good listen beginning to end.
Pretty good
MGMTs Debüt mischt Psychedelic Pop mit elektronischen Elementen. Hits wie "Electric Feel" und "Kids" prägen. Innovativ und eingängig.
I feel like everyone loves this album. I love the big singles but the deeper tracks didn’t resonate with me. Rating: 4.2
Great
Too cool for school. Synth pop with a swagger. Nothing I'll come back to.
i understand the appeal, it’s just not totally my thing
Not for ne
Way better than I expected - all three songs I already knew (Kids, Time To Pretend, Electric Feel) were of course bangers, but because that time period, and this band, is so intrinsically linked to my teenage years, I wasn't sure if it would feel as dated as moustache finger tattoos. It actually didn't at all! The Youth, The Handshake, Pieces of What were all fun new finds. Will dive into more! 4.5* ranked up to 5*
The Rosetta Stone of modern electric music.
Even if the weather where I live didn’t necessarily match the vibe, I felt inspired to try and make today a good day when I saw I had this album today. I think it deserves that much. Because this album definitely incites emotions inside of me. Ones that remind me of the feeling of that transition between spring and summer. When things finally start to get warmer. Everybody has heard at least one of the big three from this album before. Most people have probably heard all three. I know I have. They are inescapable 2000s classics. But where this album brings the most to the table is in its deeper cuts. The ones people don’t pay as much attention to. This record embraces the weird and wacky, like its psychedelic brothers. Most notably The Flaming Lips and Animal Collective. But it’s also clear how much of an influence this would have on modern psychedelic pop music moving forward. This album feels like the amateur start. And yet, there is enough technical ability and creativity shared between the duo to allow them to create something like this. And certain parts of this album sound amazing production wise. Super unique use of textures, just like Animal Collective as I previously mentioned. It’s fuzzy one moment, bright the other, flashy the other, and a variety of others you can probably think of. Some might feel like beyond its hits, this album doesn’t have much going for it. But even if those songs are amazing, they contain the plainest of the duo’s style. Those other songs are where they really get to shine. And clearly the sound they worked with here has stood the test of time over the last 15 plus years. Rating: 8/10
This album was better than I remembered it being. I liked the singles when this came out so I listened to the rest and wasn’t all that impressed. I guess my tastes have evolved since then because I was mostly impressed with this album aside from a couple of duds. The singles are still good, electric feel is still the best song on there. Weekend wars and pieces are the two duds in my opinion. Otherwise the non-singles while not as catchy are really cool.
"Oracular Spectacular" is a great album and "Time to Pretend" is just such a great song that kicks off the album with their tongue-in-cheek accounting of the rock star. I like how the song just outlines matter-of-factly they will become famous, get married to models, become hooked on drugs, have kids, meet more models and then die. What makes the song even better is the keyboard riff, which is so obviously good it makes me wonder how no other band had used it before. MGMT never was able to meet these heights, though their later catalogue does have some really good individual tracks, nothing matches what's on this one. There is some criticism the latter half of the album is light on good songs, but "Pieces of What" and "The Handshake" are both really good songs. I would recommend this album and it deserves a place in this book because it is pure synth-pop done very well.
I was extremely happy to start my week with this album. Of course there is a nostalgic element since I've listened to it during my teenage years, but I still really this is a great album especially for a debut
avg 2/5
Time to Pretend, Kids, Pieces of What, un 5 en toda regla.
Fun even though it’s kinda amateurish sometimes. I’m quite surprised how highly it’s rated on this site(well above the average album) when its merits are weaker than many of the albums rated below it.
Party rockin pop
Oh hey this one.
Nice beats Unique and calming production
I think MGMT is to Millennials what The Moody Blues is to Boomers. Good, sure, but mostly, you had to be there to get why it’s important. Their importance feels intangible. Words can’t really explain what it is about the music itself that matters. If you weren’t there, sure, the hits are still solid, but it never feels particularly unique stripped of the context of the time. I truly believe that once all the Millennial critics retire, MGMT will go the way of The Moody Blues, directly toward the bargain bin. But as a Millennial? Fuck, man, I don’t even like this album as much as my friends, and I still love it. It’s too fun and was the soundtrack to too much of my life for me to not adore it. It’s got a couple stinkers, but there’s just something about this album that speaks to that Great Recession era of pain. It summarizes what the kids now call Indie Sleaze that to me felt like we were all just trying to numb our collective shitty adolescence. It’s gaudy but somehow sexy, cheap but kinda chic if you squint. And I think there’s a bit more steam in its engine for the moment, as long as the American economic remains in the drain, which is why it’s remained a critical darling and found some newfound fans. I doubt that will last forever, though, because things tend to get better, eventually, and even if they don’t, new voices come onto the scene to represent the pain. But until then, “Oracular Spectacular” will remain beloved in my household, and will continue to be until I die and someone else throws my copy in a bargain bin.
This album had some great tracks. This is pretty synth-heavy stuff, which works for them. However, the vocals were not for me. Maybe the singer has one of those voices that needs to grow on you — in fact, by the end of the album I had become accustomed to it, which made it a bit better. Like I said though, I really liked a few of the songs; I’ll have to check out more of their music.
Pretty much what I expected. Other tracks weren’t special.
This album had a massive influence on the music I listened to when I was in high school. Despite what MGMT has to say about this album, I still think it's incredible. "The Youth," "Pieces of What," and "Weekend Wars" are some of my favourite MGMT tracks. "Time to Pretend" is where it all started for me though. Years later and I'm still coming back to this album.
1. time to pretend - 1.5 2. uueekend uuarz - 1 3. youth - 1 4. feel - 0 5. kidz - 1 6. 4th dimenzion - 0 7. piecez - 1 8. monzterz - 1.5 9. handzhake - 0 10. reflectionz - 0
A really good electronic pop album with some great hooks and choruses.
Better than I remember. I've heard this before. Always liked a couple of songs, but never felt this was MGMT's strongest album - even if it was the one to bring them their first taste of success. This new listen hasn't changed that opinion either, but I recognise the album's importance, and why so many people like it. The first 3 tracks are the strongest. 'Youth' ended up being one of my favourites from the album. They both touch on the ideas of lost youth, growing up and the consequences of this. It's a poppy psychedelic, electronic trip. This new listen has helped me appreciate songs from the album outside of the classics: 'Kids' (also known for its music video that portrays what feels like borderline child abuse) and 'Time to pretend'. Both are still bangers though, of course. Something interesting from the wiki - the guy who produced this album was the same person who produced the flaming lips' music. You can really hear the similarities between both bands. Both psychdelic/trippy sounds. I'm feeling generous today so I will give this 4 stars.
Another duo that I never heard of. The music is pleasant.
fallan las canciones pese a su gran producción
I wanted to get give it a 2 at first. But wow, it's too good for that. A really strong 3. It's such a good album.
Ajattelin et tää ois täys femma, koska tykkäsin jo valmiiks kaikista biiseistä tällä levyllä. Kaikki löytyy 16v mun soittolistalta :D Edellee hyvii biisei mut tää ei vaa toiminu kokonaisuutena niin hyvin kun ois voinut kuvitella. Jos vois antaa puolikkaita nii tää ois 3,5.
An absolute millennial classic. Amazing when satire also slaps.
Brilliant debut. Super consistent, super playful great catchy hooks along with irresistible melodies. Easy listen and your ears will thank you.
Surprisingly really good. When I see Electronica, I immediately get frustrated. This is much different than some of the other Electronica albums. You can hear instruments mixed with the sounds. Their voices work very well together. 4.5 stars
de va bra, men historien bakom gör det ännu lite bättre
Not bad a few tunes I know.
Fantastic album. I'd give it 5 stars, but I don't want nostalgia to cloud my judgement. 9/10 Would I listen again? Absolutely
It feels weird rating it these high along the likes of the other albums but this quietly the best alt album to date
When I was a senior in high school my best friends and I got green out high and locked ourselves in a beach house bathroom after prom. We put this album on and when it ended we were all so high we could have sworn that we all heard a “secret” track at the end of the album. As a kid, I never felt closer to anyone else in my life at the time. There’s some music you just can’t separate some of your best teen memories. This album is that for me. Hard 5.
Good album. Has a couple of brilliant tracks.
- all these hits in one album??
I almost like Time to Pretend and Electric Feel
There was one song I didn’t really like
Godt - mange gode sange man kender hihi. 4/5
Meh
Time to Pretend Electric Feel Kids
There are a couple good songs on here. Not a bad listen.
Great album, made me feel good. Reminds me of summer.
5/5
3 overly produced and I absolutely hated the vocal effect they used every song. But with all that they still wrote some catchy songs
Personally, I think this album has a lot of chaff. But the good stuff is GOOD. Overall I find it pretty solid, even if I like Little Dark Age a lot more. I probably would've filled this slot with Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours, but maybe that's a hot take?
Fun album with some nice songs on it, kids especially.
meh
The Singles are three of the best pop songs of its time, the rest is a weird, trippy scifo spectacular. classic album.
I'd only listened to the 3 popular songs, but the rest of the album is pretty good. The songs aren't as pop, but they are interesting. I enjoyed the first half of the album more than the second half.
I think this is the first album we’ve gotten that I’ve listened to in it’s entirety before having it as the album for the day.. I like some of the songs a lot, the most r just fine, based on the songs I like more and ig just in agreement of spot on this list 9/10
Really cool and interesting. Pretty stylistically diverse but all good. I recognized a few of the songs. Will have to listen to more MGMT. 8/10
7/10 - I wanted to like this album so much more. I wanted to given it a 5 but there were just not enough great songs. The famous songs are fantastic but the rest are ok to good. I also think I would have rated it higher if I didn't listen to Little Dark Age directly after which I would probably rate a 10/10
Prty good, first half of the album goes hard, falls off a bit on the back end 9/10
I really want to give this a 5 because I think mgmt is great, but I feel like outside of the 3 or 4 standout songs the rest of the album is pretty weak. 8/10, but super close to 9
I don't care if they say these songs were written as a joke, they slap. Really a pretty great album.
Some quintessential songs from my pre-teen years on here. That alone warrants the 4 stars for me. I don't think I’ll come back to the other tracks though
Wow the first track on this album did something to me. Forgot I knew that. Rest of the album didn’t really interest me.
Had heard the hits. Was pumped when I saw this was today’s albums. The rest did not disappoint. Great album.
I hate to say this. But I know why only three songs were hits.
This has some insanely huge pop hits. I remember Psych 1001 at YorkU with Vic H listening to some of these songs before lecture started and I kinda miss Vic H, she was an incredible friend :'(
Such a great album!!
Listened Before? N Pretty good. I'm familiar with their hits. The album is kind of all over the place but the sound is fairly consistent. Don't think I'd put it on my shelf but I didn't hate listening to it. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Electric Feel
Liked it
I mean I might be biased but I love this album, brings back a lot of nostalgia. Enjoy the overall feel and theme of it, the slight electronic beat with great vocals
znane elektroniczne z radia, spoko ale nie moje klimaty
It is absurd that this album came out in 2007. It still sounds modern, even 17 years later. Great catchy melodies and smooth smooth listening.
Remember been interested in MGMT about this time, Cannot remember how - probably well known hits or seeing them on Jools Holland maybe. They were definitely a very different sound and considering the dross what was around in the mid noughties, they stood out as having talent. But from what I heard they were interesting but not enough for me to buy their music. Had then forgotten about them until this arrived on my list. Listened to the album in full and really enjoyed it. As per my initial assessment of them there is a lot of good stuff on this album to make it an OK album and one I’m likely to listen to again as well as their later music. 2.9/5 29/3/24
Nope. Overhyped as hell at the time of release and still considered a classic? Don’t fuckin’ think so.
Not a fan, but went in with an open mind. Standouts: Time To Pretend 3.5
I didn't think I'd ever heard (of) this band, but in fact several of the songs are very familiar, probably because they were played nonstop in 2007. Not exactly my kind of music, but surprisingly catchy and inoffensive pop.
un rêve de mes 12 ans
I’ve never understood just why I like this and their next album so much. I think it’s that they have a kind of naive innocent aloofness that is yet somehow genuinely heartfelt.
Lovely album. I've never sat down and listened to the whole thing before.
Oh my lord the nostalgia
Another unexpected surprise
Few skips but every song that I like I like a lot
Excellent with gems
Hard meh.
Not my genre.
I don’t know who needs to hear this album that already hasn’t heard this album? How on earth did anyone escape this album when it was released?
Lagged between the hits tbh
Major nostalgia from this one, instant 5/5. Favorite track: The Youth
Surprisingly good. A little samey but some strong tunes.
Very nostalgic
Bangers
Not too bad, I knew a fair number of the tracks but wouldn't have known who they were by.
Fairly interesting mid-range rock. Enjoyable if not inspiring
Ok, that's a nice bit of work. Some delight. Some indifference. Not quite 3 stars. Pleased to have encountered it. I may return when I have the urge.
6.5/10
Good little electronic synth pop. That intro was amazing, but none of the songs after that really match up to it. Songs are still fun though. A good listen, good album.
This is a fantastic neo-psychedelia, psychedelic pop album. MGMT are masters at creating hit songs, and they do it really well. The back half of the album tends to be worse than the front half, but the front half is so strong that it demands to be heard. Despite it being almost twenty years old, it still sounds fantastic and new. Highlights: 1, 2, 4, and 5.
One trick ponies with a pretty fun trick - blending high energy electroclash with a chilled out psychedelic sensibly. Some of the best hooks of the decade to go with some fun beats and synth sounds and top tier melodic bass work. The drop on electric feel is so damn good. Kids is destined to be on every millennial nostalgia playlist for eternity. Starts to drag on the 2nd half when they switch from synths to guitars and become a Bowie tribute act - of moons has a cool freakout solo bit and post rock outro though.
I remember this time period pretty well, this album came out in my Freshman year of college, and really blew up my Sophomore year. I'm usually hesitant on more recent albums that are included on this list, but I think MGMT's Oracular Spectacular 1) explains the music and vibe of the era, a good example of the "indie sleaze" 2) has three really big singles from the time and 3) the rest of the album is pretty solid, and has some really fun adventurous moments. While it wasn't a huge album for me personally, I really like the songs at the time, and it harkens back to a formative time in my youth.
There are some awesome songs on this album and I really like their style.
I know Time to Pretend, should have realized it was MGMT. I know Electric Feel too! Kids - good memories.
Ah, teenage angst, 2007 style: “I’m feeling rough I’m feeling raw, I’m in the prime of my life / Let’s make some music, make some money, get some models for wives / I’ll move to Paris, shoot some heroin and f#$k with the stars / you man, the island, the cocaine and the elegant cars”…. Blah blah blah. Musically it’s pretty decent, there’s some good hooks here and there. But there is too much of a RadioShack/Casio “synthesizer” sound. The vocals are mediocre, annd often sound excessively echo-y. And the whole “rich, bored and looking for cheap thrills” thing is just trite. But the music is pretty decent. “In a couple of years / tides have turned from boos to cheers / and in spite of the weather / we can learn to make it together” …. Faux deep, but frankly dumb. It’s all listenable, but doesn’t connect (with me at least). And by the end, I was getting a bit bored. 3/5
I expected to hate this. I really didn't. It wasn't spectacular but it was a decent enough listen.
Enjoyed the two listens. Didn’t realize I had heard a lot of the songs before. Enjoyed the laid back sounds and chords. Newer MGMT albums haven’t clicked for me, but I like this one a lot. 4/5!
Harmless, mindless, nothing that compelled me to want to listen to it again.
I really like this record but for some reason I never listen to it, I don't feel the need to.
Yeah, it's overwhelming, but what else can we do? Get jobs in offices and wake up for the morning commute?
Exceeded my expectations and got a few replays, so MGMT nabs a 4-star for this one. Why was I listening to some of these hits recently? Am I doing the 1000-album challenge in a parallel universe?
"Okay" is about the only adjective I can come up with.
Fine pop music for a Pandora playlist with outdoor BBQ seed. Not memorable. Heard all the hits and don't care. A few of the deep cuts were better.
Shortening to MGMT is the kind of out of the box efficiency move that has MGMT written all over it.
I really enjoyed this. Electric Feel and Kids are naturally the highlights of the album, but the other songs are quite good too. A solid 4.
'Electric Feel' and 'Kids' are huge bangers, and the rest of the tracks are definitely decent enough to warrant a strong 4 here.
Solid 8/10
Mainstream indie, new oldschool. Just for this one banger "Kids" i'd give it a 5.
Time to Pretend is a great song. Wanted to skip over the rest.
7/10
Of course the big 3 hits are great, they have great production, great synth tones, and really catchy melodies. Time to Pretend has always been my favorite of the 3 so it surprised me that it had half the streams of the other 2. The second half of this album isn't nearly as good. It's not bad, but they lose what made the first half sound so special and they start to sound like a wannabe Strokes band or something. 3.75
First and most importantly, “Time to Pretend”, “Electric Feel”, and “Kids” are three of the best electro-pop songs ever made. These songs soundtracked a lot of my early teenage years, and still hit hard because of my nostalgia and because they’re objectively great, catchy, inventive songs. Unfortunately, the rest of this album fails to live up to its singles. The rest of Side A and the first two tracks of Side B particularly disappoint. The album picks up again in the last three tracks, but it’s still kind of disappointing because of how much better I know they can do. The sheer quality of the singles saves this one as a 4/5.
8/10
I absolutely love this album. I remember the 3 big singles that came out and being mesmerized by all of them at the time. I never listened to the entire album until now, and that was also a wonderful experience. Some really awesome soundscapes and noises that just contribute to the overall experience. Something completely weird and different! Favorite tracks: all of them!
I don't like the overall sound of most of these songs - sounds like the tracks are (purposefully) over compressed to the point of clipping. And the nasally pinched vocals aren't anything to crow about. And yet, I love this album. The songs are so so so good. Great melodic hooks behind every corner. The arrangements / instrumentations are really interesting and diverse. The album is anything but monotonous. Coming back to the sound - I'm wondering if they employed that particular effect in order to differentiate themselves from the hordes. I wish I could say with confidence that the great songs and production were enough to do that. But there are a lot of great albums that go completely unnoticed. So maybe it worked. That said, how interesting would it be to hear a "remix" without that over compression?
Great little debut album. Couple of classic tracks that totally sum up that moment in time.
Realistically I think this is a 3-point-something but for nostalgia's sake it's going to be a 4. To their credit, there are some really stand out tracks on this record - the hits obviously go hard, but some of the instrumentation on the other songs is quite unique and even sounds fresh after 20 years, so by no means is this one to sleep on.
C'était cool.
Ok 3/5
LOVE the singles on this album. Remind me a ton of my high school days (which weren't very long ago LOL). Was hoping for the songs I didn't know all that well to be better. Singles carry this one to 3 stars.
Like it.
I’ve heard most of this before, it was good
Nicht wirklich spektukulär
Not typically my style of music but I enjoyed quite a few songs.
Yes
I was familiar with the handful of hits but there’s more to dig into… I will be spending more time with this one.
“Kids” tainted my taste in this album at release. Certified bangers exist across the album and have allowed me to open more to it as I age. Struggling with a rank.
good stuff, easy listening, satisfying, catchy 1 star: dull rubbish 3 stars: alright, good as back ground, wouldn’t save it to my playlist 5 stars: it really caught me, a great experience, I will listen to again and again
I fake pride myself into being a 90s kid, but I am really a very, very late 90s kid. My teenage dream was orchestrated by (no pun intended) a very bubblegum-poppy Katy Perry, the kitsch eccentricity of Lady Gaga, and the trashy dance-pop of the early 2010s. I really looked at the Black Eyed Peas and said, non-ironically, that 2009 was the golden era of pop. And somehow, deep in my kid self, there is still a rotten gold tooth in my pre-adolescent memories that still gets excited when he sees a Kesha music video on television. Most 90s kids, though, checked out when I checked in. To them, their years of driving to the sunset with your friend's second-hand car, all windows down, was right at the rise of indie music throughout the 00s, when electropop started infiltrating the mutiverse of rock bands. And the first album that would pop up in a lot of minds when thinking of that feeling would be MGMT's larger-than-life, anthemic-injected "Oracular Spectacular". Released in 2007 and produced by Flaming Lips' man-in-the-box Dave Fridmann, this album is a nostalgia touchstone, and everyone who loves this album has been into (at least!) three music festivals throughout their twenties, which are most surely finished. With distorted strings, childlike vocals and legendary synth hooks, MGMT captured the quintessential sound of a very sunny beer ad, or a holi festival 10 kilometres away from your nearest big city. Songs like 'Time To Pretend' encapsulates in their lyrics that fake glamurous lifestyle dressed in Y2K plastic-bejeweled belts and chains. 'Electric Feel' takes funk into another dimension and dares to strip down a little. Centerpiece 'Kids''s instantly recognizable synth obstinate and engulfing production makes the perfect song to scream lyrics, bounce around under festival lights and live in the moment. But while the highs are very high, the lows also go nowhere. "Oracle Spectacular" works better the more they lean intro electropop, reverbed vocals and catchy hooks. There is just a sensation of carelessness and youth carried into these singles than the rest of the album doesn't possess. The album doesn't know what it wants to be at times, and when the synth curtain falls, its issues become incredibly visible. Half of this album falls, unfortunately, into unmemorable or even grating. But "Oracular Spectacular" still holds strong, fueled by the nostalgia and the singles that we all remember love and cherish. And god damn are these singles good. 6.6/10 Favorite songs: Kids, Electric Feel, Time to Pretend
A deeply boring Nu-Psychedelia album that sounds like a mess of howls, organ, and twangy guitars. Thank God they also wrote three of the most important Electro-Pop songs of the late 00s that, frankly speaking, stick out like a sore thumb compared to every other song on here.
Groovy
This album is a psychedelic journey. It has funky electronic melodies, lyrics that have hidden meanings (or seemingly no meaning at all), and the occasional guitar. This is not something I would usually listen to. Nonetheless, it was still a good album with popular songs that I recognized and had heard many other places before.
Oracular? Spectacular 5 stars 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
pretty good, some iconic songs, i checked this band out before they were on this list (couple songs), didnt realise this album had these iconic songs pretty good some real stinkers here and there tho YYM
Every song on this album feels so familiar. Even the ones I'm certain I've never heard before. It is an easy listen front to back. Chill without being boring. Loved it.
Great album. Listened 3 times. Reminded me of the rolling stones
Love this album. Electric Feel is a phenomenal song.
Thoroughly enjoyable. A bit hipster/electronica and to my mind a bit ahead of its time while drawing from the past.
Gibt mir gar nichts. Meist langweilig, oft sogar nervige Synthsounds mit Kinderstimmen. Weg damit.
8/10 I love this album and often find myself nodding my head in tempo. There are some stand-out tracks but the album falls short of being in the "every track is great" territory 3-5-2024
Heard a few songs from this. Catchy pop music. The sound of advertising.
The good songs are great, the less good songs are mostly fine. Different sounds to a lot of the albums on this list.
It was tolerable, listened to the whole thing, but that was plenty
Didn’t need to listen because I’ve heard it dozens of times and love it
Very good MGMT album, but not my vibe in general.
A very fun album
listening to this right after the Killers, and this album just went by almost unnoticed, but still a good aftertase
MGMT are quite good at an aesthetic that I disliked and that seemed ubiquitous during the late aughts. They’ve at least one good tune, which is not enough to bring me back.
Underwhelming, 3 pretty good, ubiquitous singles, lots of Arcade Fire-ish waffling. Mid, as they say
Overall liked it. Kids is the standout song. Good vibe for working out.
Ok album with a couple of recognisable tracks
Such a feel good album, banger after banger.
Was okay
This album has weirdly always felt nostalgic and I'm not sure why, but I love it.
Fun album to listen to.
I listened to some of this and it just isn't my thing. Which makes me want to find out more about it ending up on the best albums list.
Didn't know I have heard a few of these songs. Some are catchy, but a little more pop'ish than I generally listen to.
I find it interesting that the hits from this album give a preconceived notion of their sound, but the rest of the album differs wildly. There's new wave, prog, disco, brit pop and more woven in here. The result is an album that doesn't sound coherent. It's almost like 2 different albums mixed together. Even so, after ridding myself of expectations, I find this quite enjoyable.
Rating: 9/10 Best songs: Time to pretend, Weekend wars, The youth, Electric feel, Kids, Of moons birds and monsters
Stone cold classic
So so
One of their best albums, excited and focused alt. I think I may like little dark age more but either are great. 3.8
Pretty good.
Short
64 / 100 Time to Pretend 7 / 10 Weekend Wars 8 / 10 The Youth 8 / 10 Electric Feel 6 / 10 Kids 9 / 10 4th Dimensional Transition 5 / 10 Pieces of What 6 / 10 Of Moons, Birds & Monsters 6 / 10 The Handshake 5 / 10 Future Reflections 4 / 10
MGMT came to show us how neo pop psychedelia looked like in the 2000. Ironically, this was some kind of joke to them, but we took it seriously. And here they are! My only criticism is that this album is a little front-loaded. But it is still highly enjoyable. MGMT in general is a cult band.
Turns out the songs I know from the albums are also the only songs I like... but I do REALLY love those songs.
A classic indie record that I could never get into and still can't.
Already listened on other list
Liked this album much more than I was expecting. Singer sounds a little bit like Jack White. There are a lot of very catchy songs here, and just the right amount of electronic, techno-y sounds, not too overboard with it.
Like their sound, and the layers within the songs.
I’ve never listed to this album in it’s entirety, and it’s pretty good! Perfect at home chill music to have going in the background. Some upbeat songs in there too which keeps the album moving. Listen again: yes Purchase for my collection: possibly Favourite Song: Time To Pretend
A millennial classic.
A standout darling that shattered the divide between indie and mainstream. The perfection behind this specific craft alienated the group to take one of the hardest left turns towards expectations for a career still redefining expectations to this day.
Great album
I was pleasantly surprised and recognized quite a few of the songs but was unfamiliar with the groups name.
Takes clear influence from Bowie. This album has depth, complexity, and experimentation. Was a blast to get lost in it.
This album actually was pretty spectacular. 3 👍s and only one song that I would skip. Wanna give it a 5 but I feel like the skip and also with some other tracks it’s just not quite a 5⭐️ for me. 4.5 but going down.
This album sounds exactly what 2007 felt like during my early 20's
"Kids" blasts. The rest sounds more like a wannabe. Very ambitious - but failed for me.
Passed me by to be honest.
Blocking out the 'statement' look.
Top class of Synthie.
I bought and listened to this a lot when it came out and then I just stopped. So it was nice to listen couple times through again. Think I’m torn between a 3 and 4, but there’s quite a few classics on this album so I’ll go 4. Best song: Kids, electric feel Worst song: 4th Dimensional Transition, and second half of album generally weaker.
Never heard of this group before. Solid album. Not my usual listen but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Not really a fan, I don’t really like synths. Some tracks were alright like 4th dimensional something
I like electric feel, everything is very modern but retro and unoffensive. Nothing amazing I would listen to just for that
Good opener. Summery vibe. White stripes feel to it. I like the electronica with rock. Weekend wars has a Beatles taste to it.
This album has a few very memorable songs and the rest are more or less forgettable. Sounds like 2 potheads that had to write 7 filler songs
Enjoyed this album, great vocals and band notes.
I had a feeling this album was going to turn up. Electronic psychedelic goodness. Electric Feel is the coldest jam of the 00s. Parts of this album felt undercooked but I think that’s an overall groove feel. I’m here for it.
An ok album
I really like discovering music from my era that I genuinely enjoy. My contrarian nature was great for forming very strong opinions and relationships with older music I still love to this day, but I was way too hardline against modern music at the same time. This is fantastic art, and I will certainly keep MGMT in my rotation. Favorite track: Of Moons, Birds & Monsters
I didn’t think I would like this at all. One listen proved me right, but on the second listen, most songs started to grow on me, such that the only song I actively dislike is ironically enough one of their biggest hits, Electric Feel. Otherwise, Kids and the opening track are great songs, which I’ve added to my own playlist. Moreover, there is much variation going on, from psychedelic space rock on «4th dimensional transition» to funk on «Electric Feel» via the Bowiesque ballad «Pieces of What» I can actually see myself revisiting this album and checking out the rest of their discography.
Synth-pop but with depth. This album is probably not a cabdidate for the best 1001 of all time, but it's different enough that you should hear it
What do I hear, Sparks, David Bowie, ELO, it’s 70s soft rock, it’s 80s pop, it’s a bit of everything and a very well packaged everything.
Some good tracks- time to pretend, weekend wars, electric feel, kids, of moons birds and monsters
Tempted to remove a star for the production engineer who thought it was a good idea to use over-amplification in parts of the wall of sound. For me, that ruins what otherwise would be done very enjoyable songs to listen to.
Boring, unnecessary to hear.
naw
Such a great debut album from MGMT. So much energy and psychedelia here. I listened to the crap out of this when it came out and probably overdid it but the whimsical tunes still hold strong. The first half really packs a punch, Time to Pretend is a great open, Weekend Wars sounds like an excellent Bowie track and the Youth is a druggy jam. Even the less played songs in the second half have their importance and seem to hint at the direction MGMT will head in the future. Awesome album 4.5 stars
Nostalgic of high school days. Fav tracks: weekend wars, time to pretend
Hypnotically good--I only knew that one single on here that was and is played everywhere, but I love it!
Shades of Prince, a hit of Bowie, prog rock energy. It’s fun. I’m not sure it’s ground breaking but there’s a bunch that will have you shaking it and letting your hair down.
First half is better than the second half, but Electric Feel into Kids is one of my favorite one-two punches ever
Three great records and the rest filler. Those songs shaped the electronic dance Era of the early 2000s, they're great for sure, but they fell short elsewhere. Tried to be Foxygen and didn't hang the songwriting or producing chops.
I can’t hear this without being transported back to watching Veronica Mars. It’s a solid pop album, though if I want to listen to Time To Pretend again, I’ll probably just listen to my VM soundtrack.
Meh
own
The Dave Fridmann production makes this album. Otherwise (as evidenced by the follow ups) MGMT are largely a great Tyrannosaurus Rex/Neil Young tribute act. But the oversaturated drums and blaring keyboards reminiscent of his work with the Flaming Lips or Mercury Rev make it so much bigger and bolder. The singled (Kids, Time to Pretend and Electric Feel) are all essential.
3/5. I have to give credit to thus album for clearly revitalizing a certain genre while also topping the charts with multiple songs on this album. While not my taste of music, I can remember almost 2 decades ago, these songs playing on the radio and being used in YouTube videos.
"Time to Pretend" made me kind of nostalgic, for that reason 3 stars.
Some decent mid aughts pop.
Was familiar with some of these tunes, but never remember MGMT as the band! Or didn't know. Lounge party music?
MGMT's another one of those pop adjacent groups that everyone swears is great but I just don't see what's special about them. Barely a 3.
Can’t imagine being more cognizant when this dropped lol 3.5
I’ll pull some songs from it. It definitely aged well and has some bangers but also some snoozers.
Didnt realize this had pretty much every mgmt song I like Nice!
Such a fantastic album. MGMT helped shape a lot of the music I enjoy today as well as me as a person. I can’t give it 5 stars because a lot of the non-singles don’t hit as well, but I still thoroughly enjoy this album.
Love MGMT and already know and love several of the songs on this album, Time To Pretend, Electric Feel and most of all Kids - the song that introduced me to MGMT. It was great to hear the whole of this album, definitely keeping it in my Spotify library.
Iconic album with so many catchy standouts. Era defining.
This spectacular journey of bliss entranced me.
With a title like Oracular Spectacular, this album does feel like a hipster time travel report from the future (perhaps even now) back to 2007 describing what life will be like in post modern 2.0 internet A debut album, and what a debut album it was. If it were a vinyl, Side A 1-5 is the strength and Side B tracks 6-10 are the weakness. I feel bad for this group because as a debut album they have been doomed, even as they mature experientially and musically, to never reach its groovy heights ever again. 1) Time to Pretend - A confession of pretension is somewhat comforting? And on this track grooving. I also take this as a warning that the rest of the album that follows is lyrically tongue-in-cheek and not to be taken to literally or seriously. 2) Weekend Wars - The Bowie idolatry is on! 3) The Youth - Woefully naive, or sarcastically cynical, I cannot decide which. Love the dreamy production with walking bass and The Beatles-esque harmony. 4) Electric Feel - Love this sound and production. Lyrically, I am convinced this song is just simply about the transcendence of youthful lovemaking, or extolling the society altering affects the goddess Amazon.com. 5) Kids - Ahh, the celebrated callousness of youth. Take what you want from it, but try not to be trapped by nostalgia nor participation trophies. 6) 4th Dimensional Transition - Where the college dorm psychedelia experience meets the road of reality. Love the pulsing tabla groove. Kula Shaker would be proud of this arrangement. 7) Pieces of What - The first song that feels like your standard early 2000s indie blues oriented rock. Not a bad thing, just the first song that did not eschew traditional song arrangement. 8) Of Moons, Birds & Monsters - Jefferson Airplane for the early 2000s. I love the finger food of music history approach in this song, and frankly on this album. A cynical person could say they are being ironic with their sound, but I personally think they truly love these pop forms as much as we do. The lyrics seem nonsensical, possibly chosen for the sounds of the words more than their actual meaning on this song. 9) The Handshake - Feels like a failed effort at Goth inspired songs. The angst is a bit eye-rolling, but then I remind myself that they warned us Time to Pretend not to take anything very seriously. 10) Future Reflections - Feels like a primer for understanding the image chosen for the album cover. All in all, a solid effort but in the canon of music nothing that delineated a before and after. One of the more interesting things to listen to in 2007. on a ten scale I would give it a 3.5, but since we are on a five scale, I'll give it a 4 on the strength of the first 5 songs.
Interesting album. I give it 3 stars.
I have liked this album for a while.
Amazing!
Hm, das war ja mal gemischtes Ohrenfutter. Genre? Keine Ahnung, irgendwie Pop. Einige starke Songs dabei, die bestimmt vor 15 Jahren überall im Radio liefen. Meine Ohren konnten sich jedenfalls damit vom vorherigen Album (Postpräprotoalternativerock oder so) gut erholen.
I can't make up my mind about this album. It's sound is both unique and derivative at the same time - just when I think it's quirky and different, it reminds me of other bands but I just can't say who. The vocals are certainly marmite - you either love them or hate them.
That brief moment when Neo-Psychedelia hit the pop charts. Taking the blueprint The Flaming Lips had established for the psych sound of the 2000s, blown-out drums, melting guitars, simple and escapist lyrics, but replacing the fuzzy synth textures with sharper synth hooks, MGMT hit it out of the park with the songs Electric Feel and Kids. The album itself has great cuts, especially at the beginning. Just a simple delight. Decent 4
This album is so… ok. Like I think I’ve just heard nearly every single song so many times that it’s made me numb to the fact that this was once genre-pushing. Still a solid 7/10 but was definitely once a 10/10 for me. Also the reverb on “The Handshake” is nauseating.
Electronic rock normally isn't for me. I was surprised that I enjoyed the first few tracks of this album, but then I lost interest and got bored for a little while. I liked "4th Dimensional Transition" and "Pieces of What". The coolest song title is "Of Moons, Birds, and Monsters", but I didn't love the song itself, except for the cool instrumentals in the last minute or two.
I remember hearing this for the first time after my brother in law sent it to me. I was pretty blown away with the unique sound and it was a gateway to a style of music I hadn't been exposed to much to this point. I can listen to this album from start to finish and repeat it again. Track 9 is a little rough, track 3 is filler/intro and doesn't add much but for the most part this is a nice set of tracks around some killer bangers. Track by track: 1 - Starting out with a banger! 2 - A decent follow up. I'm not wanting to skip it except that I know great stuff is coming 3 - Major tone change. Almost feels like an intro track. Everything sounds like it is leading somewhere with no resolution. 4 - Another absolute banger. The chorus gave me stank face. Loving it. 5 - Can't get better than that last track but... wait... it actually DOES. It is no surprise that this song was as popular as it was. 6 - A super tough following spot. This changes tone which is a good thing. It is a decent track for an expectation/tone reset. 7 - This one starts a little rough but comes together in the second half and is really nice with the strings in the background. 8 - I almost hear some Neil Young influence in the chorus of this one. It is a decent track altogether. I enjoyed the ending instrumental. 9 - This psychedelic track is a bit too out there for me. The first track on the album that I would probably skip regularly. 10 - A fine but forgettable final track. A bit of a miss to just have a fine track here and eliminates the possibility of this being in the amazing album range.
Great hits. nothing else
I really liked the front half of this album. The back half I got a little bit of album fatigue and found the songs to get a little less tuneful and immediately arresting. I'll be interested to see if the rest of the alarm grows on me on my 4th-6th listens. That opening track is funny because I've heard that synth riff in so many different medias that its kinda difficult to hear it as a part of a real song. I like the rest of the track though!
(Mai ascoltato prima) Sound interessante, ma al primo ascolto sembra un po' piatto, come se fosse musica da background. L'ho riascoltato una seconda volta e l'ho sicuramente apprezzato di più, quindi credo che ci vogliano un po' di ascolti per comprenderlo a fondo.
I’ve heard the song ‘Kids’ but overall a totally new artist.
A great listen! Might listen to them again. They had songs I remembered hearing on the radio.
Pretty fun album with a couple really fun and popular songs.
Strong start but weak ending
This album crushes it, an absolutely perfect first side that makes you want to dance your ass off!
So good, the singles carried still though
An absolute stunner of a debut album. One of those records that is released every so often that blows out the cobwebs on the music scene, rearranges what is possible and, afterwards nothing is the same for a while.