Reviews (page 13 of 15)
Average as hell!
giving ipod vibes, will this/did this survive the test of time??,
Nice
First album I remember coming out and buying! It's a decent album. A few really huge songs (time to pretend, Electric Feel, Kids.) Still feels like it fades out a little in the second half. Of Nu Rave albums, much preferred the Klaxons.
The singles are bangers, the rest not so much. Overall a bit underwhelming but passed my couch to 5k run adequately. Have they had any hits since this album?
Left me feeling nostalgic for a time that never was. Cool synth tones, catchy songwriting, and generally felt original throughout. I didn’t take anything from it to my playlists but I enjoyed the album and I could see myself coming back to it occasionally.
The hits are bangers, album fillers can be a bit underwhelming though
Heard some songs before. Great vibe
Pleasantly surprised by this album! Was expecting middling garden-variety 00s synth pop but instead it’s got this very 60s-inspired sound with shades of Bowie, the Stones. Honestly the lowest points for me were the 3 big hits but that might just be because I heard those songs 10 million times each in high school and would be fine never hearing them again for the rest of my life. Fav tracks: Weekend Wars, Pieces of What
There are three great songs on this, but the rest is a bit filler-ish.
first half was so good, after Kids kinda fell off
Really cool listening ! Some hits i didn't even know were in this album
Dom lite mer gitarrbaserade låtarna t.ex Weekend wars och pieces of what är riktigt riktigt bra. Dom andra är lite för poppiga och tråkiga
An absolute standout of the late aughts. Fun to run it back.
The nostalgia hit is real. This was on the college freshman banger list, but in reality I only truly enjoy a few songs. And nothing that I’d really miss after going awhile without listening. This album has some unique sounds and stretches genres, but the passion behind the delivery always stuck with me. I feel like it’s just fun music, but without the true showmanship of a strong vocalist. It’s always just been ok to me.
A few decent tunes but not really a standout. Pretty average
There were times when one could not avoid exposure to some of the songs in this album. They were played everywhere! Those time have gone by now, making me wonder what it is about certain albums that leave a permanent mark whereas others, like MGMT's here, disappear into the ether. Those couple of tracks that were huge hits back then are still nice to listen to, occasionally...
Electric Feel was the only one I recognized. Haven't listened to MGMT before. It was okay ig. Wasn't awful, sort of close to my tastes but not really what I listen to normally.
Basically all the songs on this album appeared somewhere in your life C. early 2010s. Still, despite over exposure to them they're still bangers and for the genre it cannot be denied how important this album is since it sort of signalled a change in the latter third of the 2000s into the 2010s. By this point, the 90s were well and truly dead
Never heard this album before. It was a lot better than I expected.
Decent. Never heard them before. Some good tracks.
Apple Store music
It’s a great sound, but it’s not the most versatile one so gets a bit samey over the course of an entire album. The 3 singles - Electric Feel, Kids and Time To Pretend - are brilliant (especially TtP) Not sure there’s much worth a repeat visit outside of those but it was a decent enough listen
Time To Pretend Kids. Worth a second listen
There are some bangers on this album. If there were more bangers, I would rate it higher. It is what it is (which is pretty good).
I liked the songs I knew... Which was surprisingly a lot. But I didn't care for the others...
Was actually surprised this came out in 2007, thought it was more recent than that, but then again Electric Feel and Kids were college jams. Listening to MGMT live shows now with my son, I can see why they were basically a one album wonder, they don’t have the strongest chops. They put together an album with a handful of great singles and then some other space rock tracks, but I wouldn’t call any of it classic or even noteworthy. I was originally considering a lower rating for this, but the non-singles are actually decent enough.
I had thought I had not heard of this band, and then recognized three of the tunes right away -- this record must have been pretty huge when it came out. It's got some interesting layering of sounds, and the songwriting is OK, but I didn't find it anything special.
Time to Pretend was OK Electric Feel, Kids are better known and worth a listen.... but the rest of the album is just bland nonsense that meanders on forever too long with crap vocals. If it was playing I'd listen to it OK, but wouldn't be an album of choice. So to be fair, as an album from these guys, I'd just place it middle for diddle on a 3.
Got this album close to release on the back of Time to Pretend and Kids and remember my horrified dissapointment that nothing else came close and was a slog to sit through. I haven’t listened since do this will be a good experiment… … turns out i was overreacting like a disappointed man, the rest of the album is perfectly solid but just not to the heights of those songs above.
I think ive been listening to them a lot through the years to have a better judgement
Everryone's heard this duo, no one knows who they are! Beautiful, sprightly psychedelic pop with a dark underbelly of words.
Mfing classic
3.75
look, it's a good album, probably better than a 3, but so help me god if I hear time to pretend or kids or electric feel one more time
There are a few really catchy songs, but other than those the album is really weak.
party music, vocals reminded me of Rolling Stones in parts despite being several generations apart. would not actively put this on but it's fine
It's overall pretty good. Time to Pretend is a brilliant track, and Kids is also really good. There's a reason why they were the two main singles. The rest is kind of a nice time for the most part but I didn't find it massively exciting. Of Moons, Birds and Monsters was the other standout for me.
some songs ive listened to before, overall pretty alright i guess
The three radio singles are fantastic. Rest of the album is pretty meh...
Overstays its welcome
Had to think about this one. It’s very good, the hits are hits, but I felt like every song was just a crescendo with different loops added
Surprised by this one. I recognized some songs and overall was pretty good.
I mentioned in my Flaming Lips review my wife would probably like them. I KNOW she would like a lot of this music. An electronic, dance, kind of cheesy album. Not that's there anything wrong with it, but for not really my favorite style of music. I did enjoy a few songs of this album, with my favorite being the very first tune, Time to Pretend. A catchy upbeat, seemingly happy song. Until you listen to the lyrics and find out it's really kind of sad. Just the line, "choke on our own vomit and that will be the end." Damn. I did love the line "find some models for our wives" because I did marry a model. It's worked out pretty well. Still going strong after 28 years and she gets more beautiful by the day. Ok, enough of the sappiness, but I guess when you listen to cheesy music, this is what you get. I liked a couple other tunes. Electric Feel and Kids. I feel like I've heard one of these songs in my past or at least it sounded familiar. Either way, decent songs. So I liked 3 songs and felt like the rest was kind of fill in the rest of the album kind of songs. Again, nothing terrible and I did enjoy my listening experience. I can't quite get to the 3 mark for this album, but I'd say it was pretty close. I'll rate up on this one and give them the 3 stars. 3
Damn this album always surprises me with its age. It came out in 2008 but it sounds like a 2012 album at the earliest, which I think speaks to its timelessness. It may not be front to back bangers or superhits but it's very consistent. Electric Feel, Kids, Time to Pretend, Weekend Warriors were all staples in my post high school days. I've been meaning to pick this one up on vinyl, maybe I'll do that. 3
Of course Kids and Time to Pretend holds great nostalgic value for any millenial that went to a house party around 2008. And I gotta say that the rest of the album is mostly good, but nothing touches the 3 mains singles (the other being Electric Feel) and I think I'd rather reach out for those when I need my early 00's indie pop fix instead of the whole thing.
It’s a bop.
Quite generic psychedelic pop/indie rock album. Nothing outstanding but not very bad either.
Tiene un par de canciones excepcionales, pero no es para tanto
i’ve always loved the hits on this album, so i was sorta disappointed that the rest of the tracks didn’t impress me as much. not bad though, good production throughout.
This was okay. I enjoyed their singles.
Had never heard this before. Sure, let's put them on the list.
Some nice complex arrangements but imo a little overrated
Some hits. Some misses.
The absolute killer songs. Really enjoyed this album
I liked this but it didn't blow me away. Def brought back some good memories. Def will listen again. I love how mellow it is - so much 'electronic' music is either very 'dub step' or 'hip hop' and this is just chill and nice.
Was going to give a 2 but "Of Moons, Birds & Monsters" is better than "Siberian Breaks" , and that's an incredible song.
These songs are crucial for when I need to powerwalk past tourists on my evening stroll. They are the sole reason I felt the urge to body a man taking pictures of a squirrel.
One, two, three, four It has a little more Five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten I love you M G M T Time to Pretend for you and me M G M T I love you Bom bom bom bompa bom The Handshake, bompa bom Pieces of What, bompa bom Weekend Wars, bompa bom Look at me More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits Moons, Birds, Monsters Why are some Kids fosters? Pink, brown, yellow, orange, and blue I love you More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits Bom bom bom bompa bom Future Reflections, bompa bom The Youth, bompa bom 4th Dimensional Transition, bompa bom Look at me More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits More than the hits
Comme pour ma critique de The xx, je vous redirige vers toutes les autres déjà écrites pour les albums classés Post-Erasmus-Indie, soit tous les albums générés datés de 2005 à 2015. Robert, cesse immédiatement.
pretty meh outside of the two hits
I knew more tracks than I thought I would. I think I prefer the covers of their tracks - sorry MGMT. I do use your name as an abbreviation for management in file names now, so you’re always in my thoughts somewhere ❤️
A few spacey tunes, some classics too. All in all a good listen
Nice. Not thrilling, but nice
nice vibes, nothing special
meh...
Dacht de band nog niet te kennen en toen ineens kwam ‘kids’, FIFA 09! Verder vond ik het wel verfrissend album, favoriete nr: the youth
Three good songs and a lot of filler. The sound of getting ready to go out in 2009. Bring me my multicolored headband.
Was too busy with young kids etc to pay much attention to MGMT when this came out. It's OK, and I do recognise some tracks from the general ambience
wasn't real impressed after the first song. i actually only listened to half of it and then skipped to the next song. it did get better after that, lol. i enjoyed kids and electric feel. nothing i can say i loved, but didnt hate it (except that first song, lol) either. 6/10
I really like the three songs I knew coming in, but unfortunately the rest of the album didn't really do it for me. Above average and would listen to it on the radio, but I don't see myself listening to anything I didn't already know in the future. Still a good listen overall. 7/10
I like only two songs.
Modern Classic
Catchy, quirky, likeable stuff. Fave Songs: Of Moons, Birds & Monsters; Electric Feel; Pieces of What; The Youth; 4th Dimensional Transition
Heard it before?: Yes Enjoy it?; Yes, it’s aged tremendously and just has the feeling I haven’t gained from hearing something in the past, it must makes you feel like reliving adolescence Favourite song: Track 1 - Time to Pretend
Not bad. Not great. “Kids” is the one that I already knew, and is a great single, but the rest is too much of the same.
Psychedelia with electronic elements. Not a favourite, but interesting
There's some great tracks on this album that have become worn out in pop culture in Britain. There are also some tracks which really didn't hit home for me.
The singles on this still fizz - music for everyone and anyone at the house party. The rest of the record was all nice but did wash over me. 3.5
Better than expected. 3/5
Pleasingly 79 psych throwbacks. 3 monster hits with epic riffs. Some of the the other stuff is a bit filler but I really like the vibe of this as it seemed so different at the time.
I turned 20 years old in 2007. I can think of no track that better epitomizes the privileged existential crisis of burgeoning adulthood than Time to Pretend. MGMT put into song the way all of us were feeling about our unknown futures and the futility of resisting it. And they also made it into a fucking bop! It’s a once in a generation song that resonates deeply with a very specific mindset at a very specific time of life that I was lucky enough to perfectly connect with when it happened. The singles on this album dazzle, they soar. But everything else is uninspired drudgery.
It's alright has 2 or 3 pretty good songs. Electric feel and kids are good. Round up today to a 3
a bit proggy and a bit hipstery but some good tracks
Overplayed on my local alternative radio station, so I can’t give it a fair review.
- You couldn’t escape the singles from this album in 2007, for good reason. Time to Pretend, Electric Feel and Kids are classics
Glad it was suggested, but 2018 album Little Dark Age beats this I'd say.
Those tunes which are played to death are played to death for a reason - amazing! Enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Sot: Time To Pretend Weekend Wars Electric Feel Kids 3.5/5
already listened to it. thought it was ok, not totally sold on it tho
Removed from the book as a post 2000 album, obviously, we can't dislodge David Gray. I kept meaning to listen to this album back in the day, Christ it's 15 years old already, I am old. Anyway I never did really, apart from the 3 main songs on the radio, until years later. When I finally did I don't think I latched on. I remember a big fuss being made about Congratulations as well but I did the same with that. It's quite funny how different most of the album tracks are to the singles, there's a couple of decent pop-psych songs in a similarly interesting vein and then there's this kind of cod-Bowie/Bolan stuff. A little bit of the more interesting stuff feels a logical progression of what 10CC and others were messing about doing in the 70s. I'd say about 70% of the album is really good and enjoyable.
For me this album isn’t anything special. Kids is really the only song that I really like off this album but I knew that going into it. Time to Pretend and Electric Feel or both okay songs. The rest of the album is kind of meh though to be honest. I’ll give this a 6/10.
Like the electronic instrumentals, solid production. Vocals are generally ok, works better with certain tracks. I would say that it is decent. Not fantastic, but solid and enjoyable. Repetitive at times, but like a good repetitive. Much more enjoyed the second half of the album. 4th Dimensional Transition is my favorite track. 3.25/5
Honestly, kind of shocked that the first album I get is one I didn't even know I already liked. Time To Pretend, Electric Feel, And Kids are all songs I've heard a bunch, and I never once put a name to them or the artist. Listening more, there's alot of other great songs on here too. The Youth, Of Moons, Birds and Monsters, and Future Reflections are all really good too. That being said, the other songs are hit or miss for me. I wouldn't get out of my seat to skip them, but I'm not excited to hear it start. I was gonna give it a 6/10 but the Youth and Kids are really catchy, and got moved into a playlist, so 7/10 from me..
This album is about like I remember it. It has two great songs that became hits. The rest of it is fine, but it feels like paint-by-numbers psychedelic rock in the mold of the Flaming Lips 3/5
3.5/5
I like how the interweb explains that their name is a "disemvowelment of Management" very witty. These kids put out a decent psychedelic indie record, Kids and Electric feel have got some catchy hooks. The rest of the record is fairly pedestrian though. The exception is the last half of Of the Moon, which features lovely almost proggy instrumental. I liked that so much that I rounded it up to a 3.
The synths were cool and the song lengths were pretty good but the melodies were too poppy/indie. Hearing the extended version of Kids was a good memory
Rooted in a time!
Decent album - Consistent theme and a bunch of earworm tracks. If you dont like the sound of the 2000s then its not going to change your mind, but its a decent album. 3/5
Ihan mielenkiintoista synapoppia, mutta ei kuitenkaan kauheen mieleentarttuvaa
Better then I expected, just not my favorite flavor of music. Maybe it'll grow on me.
Better than expected. Some interesting grooves
The beats were often a little too heavy for me
I thought it was good. No bad songs just some alright ones but the highs are awesome they take up like half the album idk how the other half made it looks like ass in comparison even though on its own it’s not
3. A solid bop.
Interesting stuff.
While this album is definitely held up by its three greatest tracks, the other songs are also worth listening to for their psy-trance infused pop.
I think anyone my age or a little older will remember this album was *everywhere*. Hell, I still hear the main three songs ("Kids", "Electric Feel", "Time to Pretend") pretty consistently. Do I like it? ...Eh. It tries stuff. A few of the songs attempt having multiple parts instead of the standard verse-chorus arrangement. But sometimes they succeed ("Of Moons, Birds, and Monsters") and sometimes they don't ("The Handshake"). It's fun, synth-driven psychedelia. That being said, I could easily go the rest of my days without hearing "Time to Pretend" again. Favorite tracks: "Electric Feel", "Of Moons, Birds, and Monsters"
This was okay. I didn’t care for it the first listen through, but went back and gave each song another preview, and liked it a little more.
This was a really good album, I’d heard Kids and I think Time to Pretend before but the rest were good too. Interesting to see this group on the list but glad they are here.
Really outside of the big singles (Kids, Electric Feel) this isn't a super memorable album. Sure the production is great, I just don't really see anything else about it that makes it top 1001 list, not even the bands best album, I guess cultural significance? Three great songs, that's better than some albums on this generator list I've listened to.
My Goodness My Trousers! Some big indie tunes on this but the album tracks weren't so memorable
These guys, and this album in particular blew up when I was not appreciative of indie stuff, and I was not having it. Trying it again now… and I still don’t really get it. Not my kind of electro pop at all, really. D+, but I’ll give it 3 stars out of fairness, since it’s not really bad at all
So nice, I played it twice! The whiny synth and pleasing dronelike aura reminded me plenty of Mercury Rev, which makes total sense having discovered that they share a producer in Mr Friedman. It all seems catchy and harmless enough.
Goofy cover. I didn't think I had heard of the artist but the first song was familiar, as was Kids. This is easy music to like. Although on second listening, I'm finding it good but not great. I do think this album is interesting enough to belong on this list.
I've heard of MGMT before, but never really paid attention to their music much, it was just background noise while Hits 1 was on the radio. Having now listened to an album of theirs, I have a bit more of an appreciation for their musical talents. I must start by saying that newer indie pop rock is not really in my wheelhouse, but I didn't hate this album like I thought I would. The first half of the album is leaps and bounds better than the second half. In the song Weekend Wars I can hear a bit of David Bowie influence in the vocal delivery. Favourite songs: Kids, Electric Feel, Weekend Wars, Time to Pretend Least favourite songs: 4th Dimensional Transition, "Of Moons, Birds & Monsters", Future Reflections, The Handshake 3/5
Prior to this popping up, I was familiar with the three singles off of this album. "Time to Pretend" and "Kids" are decent, and I genuinely love "Electric Feel." I was hoping to find more to enjoy on this album, but upon giving it a listen it became clear why there weren't more than three singles—the rest of the tracks aren't particularly interesting. At best, they're mediocre; at worst, they feel like a couple of guys trying too hard to be profound. If "Electric Feel" is any indication, they'd be better served dropping the pretense and concentrating on making slightly weird, deliciously funky jams.
Another one of these “oh they’re THAT song” albums. Overall I found this just all right, the music a fairly flat serving of blippy synthesizer rock and the baby rockstar mentality of the lyrics a little irritating.
I like the three hits on this, the others I could take em or leave em.
I was OBSESSED with the song Kids, even went to see them live and have CD. I think the singles are the hits though. They look annoying on the cover.
Pretty good. Not my normal cup of tea.
I like it, a few miss, but great songs on the first half. Kids is a definitely a classic even though back then it was so overplayed.
Not rush
Some real banger tracks, but overall, I feel it's mediocre in the end. Could also be the fact that although Kids, Electric Feel, and Time to Pretend are really, really good, I heard these songs so many times. Rest of the tracks are meh at best as well
Probably requires a second listen, There's the hits, but also a number of songs that for me just happened.
A good late 00’s album I remember how big MGMT became when this came out. The 3 singles were huge great songs, rest of the album is ok.
not bad. a few good tunes
Suprisingly okay.
"Oracular Spectacular" is the debut album and first album of content from MGMT. MGMT formed in 2002 in Middletown, CT and consists of main members and multi-instrumentalists Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwater. Additional band members have been added for albums and tours. Their music has been classified as neo-pyschedelic, indie pop and pyschedelic pop. That's apt; their songs are pop with weirder elements incorporated. This album is particularly front-loaded with their hits at the beginning. But, those hits are pretty great with "Time to Pretend" and "Kids" as two of my favorite indie/alternative songs of the 2000's. The album begins with a song they wrote as seniors in college "Time to Pretend" and is just a fantastic song. Pyschedelic start. Great keyboard intro and melody. Inspired by watching preying mantises in and on one of their model pirate ships. Woah! Maybe inspired or enhanced by other things too. What's it about? Growing up and becoming serious? Living the rock star life? Both? The second song "Weekend Wars" sounds like the White Stripes with an acoustic guitar. Nice vocal chorus ending. Living for the weekend are we? Their second single "Electric Feel" has another great keyboard melody and a heavy bass. Probably their most pop-oriented song. Another song with a drug focus. Their third and final single "Kids" kicks in with a great keyboard hook and beat. Multi-layered vocals. The lyrics going serious about the environment. Another fantastic song. The second half of the album slows down and things get a little more pyschedelic. These songs reminded me of The Flaming Lips. Two songs that got my attention were "Of Moons, Birds & Monsters" for is its pyschedlelic guitar solo and "The Handshake" for its general overall "Yoshimi & The Pink Robots" vibe. I recommend this album alone for their singles. The second half doesn't have quite the hooks but doesn't totally deter from an overall pretty good album.
Listened before: No Enjoyed: Yes Listens: 2 Some good tunes here and some that are pretty skipable but definitely one worth coming back to
I was very impressed with the first half of this album - the vibe, the flow - and was prepared to give it 4 stars but unfortunately the 2nd half fell flat and brought it down to 3 stars. "Electric Feel" was definitely a standout for me!
2007? This album was made 15 years ago? I feel so old... This album feels dated. I'm not sure if that's from over-play on the radio or if this type of 2000's pop is over-done.
I’ve always liked the 3 big singles (Time, Electric, Kids), with their funky indie disco style, but am not attracted to the psychedelic rest. Prefer to listen to Flaming Lips or Super Furry Animals.
mistura de pop, punk, com rock, com prog e eletrônica. Bacana. Electric Eel famosinha.. Kids é super famosa Pieces of what - péssimo vocal Of moon birds and monsters é bem legal. Psychedelic Rock
Pretty good singles (Time to Pretend, Electric Feel and Kids) that still sound quite fresh. Side 2, however, drags into aimless spaced-out rock. The Dave Fridmann production sound is all over this (cf Tame Impala and the Flaming Lips). I find it wears by the end of the album (especially that processing on the vocals, that is, ultimately a bit alienating). But those singles are pretty damn good.
Pop goodness.
Electric Feel brings me back to 2010 when I first heard the song. The rest of the album is new to me. Pretty good.
Solid
This is fine. Not much I want to revisit.
So many bangers on this one. The in-between songs are decent too.
Some tracks are interesting. Remind me somehow of Vampire Weekend.
Very surprised about how much I got into this but also felt a few songs either dragged on or went down the wrong path. This album came out when I first started teenage park drinking and navigating the other gender. Time to pretend took me back to Brendan's garage watching him dance with Sarah while I'm trying to figure out who I could kiss. Weekend wars has such an incredible first half but then loses itself/goes away from what I really enjoyed about it. The grungey feel that really isn't typical of MGMT. Electric feel is a song I'd typically skip but in the context of the album it is perfect. There's no wonder this song was everywhere when I was 15. The album is a nostalgic piece of fun for me. With enough content to make it memorable but not enough for me to want to go back. Great first album but looking for much better to come
MGMT was the first time that I noticed hipsters and chads morphing into each other. I can't tell where it stops talking about its feelings and starts fingering girls in the park. Part of it wants to tell you about its favourite hole-in-the-wall coffee shop in Tel Aviv; the other part wants to on rugby trips and piss in its mates' mouths while they sleep on the bus. Either way, if this album was a bloke it would DEFINITELY sleaze onto your missus if you went out of town for the weekend. 3/5.
Nice to hear that the rest of this debut is up to the standard of their singles even though it doesn’t grab me personally. Very singable throughout
It was an alright album. Not very rememberable after one listen. With that said from what I recall I would go back and check some of their other work out.
The singles are catchy and enjoyable, but the remainder of the album fades into the background.
Not in my edition of the book! 2007. 3.5 stars. Fabulous synthesis of indie pop and 60's psychedelia, irritating catchy riffs and vague Beatle-ish overtones. Time To Pretend and Kids are standouts, but a lot of the album is filler. This would get a 4 on a good day.
Over produced and over worked, but with a few gems in there as well. Takes me straight back to the time it was released, when the singles were everywhere for a while.
One of those albums with songs I know but didn’t know from where. Cool.
This album was a huge success for MGMT, and I can see why. There's lots of influence from some of the greats in here, but I'm afraid what brings it down is the vocals and the meat. There's not enough in each songs to make me listen again with excitement, they all have their hooks and strengths, but not enough.
Duh duh duh duh duh duh duh duh duuuuuuuuuh duuuuuuuuh. They look like Clem Fandango and the other fella on the cover
Pas trop mon style mais quelque. Hanosn se demarquait 3.25
Some nice sounds, overall I'm just not too fond of the sound and tone.
Quite enjoyed this, and loved the singles (Kids / Pretend) at the time. Catchy but with a twist, and quite like the lyrics too. However, there’s something a bit too knowing / deliberately quirky in how they write and present their songs. And most of the other songs don’t seem to compare for quality to the singles. They did seem to be trying something new, though, and I did like it for that. 3.5 stars.
A band that I have wanted to try and get into. This was the ideal opportunity. They didn't disappoint, but they didn't quite get me over the line. I enjoyed the slightly distorted production. It added a real DIY element to the album. But it was the falsetto vocals and lurches towards disco that put me off buying a cheapo copy on CD.
Nostalgic, some great songs with some filler.
Smash popular hits scattered through this one. They were never my thing, but they get you feeling good!
The hits were the hits for a reason.
Fun stuff.
Started off as a bit typical whiny 2000’s art rock, but I really liked “Of Moons, Birds and Monsters” - almost enough to bump this to a four. Nah…
The idea of this being a collection of 3 fantastic songs surrounded by a bunch if mediocre ones is ridiculous, but that's because it's actually 2 fantastic songs and electric feel. I'm a sucker for a synth bass I guess. The fleetwood mac moment was nice also
- another oh it’s that song on the first track. I like the melody, not a huge fan of the song. Kind of like arcade fire from my recollection. - Good beat and melodies - Some very interesting lyrics - Notable Tracks: Kids (though the end is a bit much), The Youth
I enjoyed it overall. I was surprised at how many of these songs I was already familiar with. 3 stars.
I don't think for MGMT was for when it dropped, and I don't think it is now. It's an alright album, but I don't think it's the toppest of tiers. But it probably has place on this list anyway.
Listenable, not bad.
Gute Indie-Pop Album. Etwas zwischen 3 und 4.
Very fun and nostalgic album. A few classics on this album which will be quintessential feel good songs. Some of the other album is a bit trippy pop and is okay. The second half of the album is not nearly as strong but overall it’s an impressive and joyful album for the youth. 7.3/10
I like this, and will definitely listen again
Pretty good pop-rock w/ electronic sounds. Sometimes Beatles, sometimes disco, sometimes bluesy. Was surprised to recognize several songs (or at least the hooks): Time to Pretend, Electric Feel, Kids. Top tracks: Electric Feel
3.5
There were some good tunes here that I was not familiar with.
It’s ok. A couple of memorable songs, good live band though
CD
Kinda 21 piloter core… början va bäst….
Didn't know anything about this group - the cover gives nothing away. Are they EDM? folk? hip-hop? emo? I'm not sure I expected the immediate lush melodies though - right off the bat it's hard to not be captivated by this. This melodic and catchy trippy electronic pop/rock carries on throughout the entire album - if i have any criticisms, it's almost an assault on the ears. Not that it's overly loud or abrasive, just that it's too *dense* to a fault in many of the songs. There's a lot of suffering from modern/digital production - jamming all the levels of every instrument to their peaks and after a while I didn't realize it but my ears get a little tired. I'd definitely listen to any/all of this again but even with the short runtime it's just a bit much to take in all in one gulp. Still, worthy of a strong 3 stars. 7/10 3 stars
You know that cheap beer, which is perfect for cracking a cold one with the boys and can bring some of the best memories, but you won't have much pleasure from drinking it alone? Yeah, that's Oracular Spectacular. A pleasant set with some of the best known songs from MGMT, but at the same time rubbing me up the wrong way for some reason. Listening the whole album for the first time (first sip?) was dreary sometimes, but I got used to it. The second sip was much better - I finally noticed the wide spectrum of instruments and non-obvious harmonies. All in all, it's some non-controversial music to play at a house party to accompany a cheap beer. And the best memories. Highlight: The Youth
3 absolutne bangery, które niestety prościej usłyszeć w telewizji niż w radiu. Reszta albumu średnio bym powiedział. 3.5/5
It was fine, smacked a little of sepia filters on instagram
overrated
Qué buenos recuerdos!!! Time to pretend y Kids impagables.
Indie pop. Interesante.
I remember listening to this CD a lot during University. Electric Feel / Kids is a very solid 1-2 punch. Time to pretend is okay. The rest of the CD is meh, even through the nostalgia glasses. I expected more here, and didn't get it.
Better than expected. Felt like the first of their genre (electronic indie) & appreciated it as such, but much of it felt uninspired - probably because they helped invent it.
pelo menos uns 10 anos que nao ouvia esse album, continua bom
Really enjoyed this at the time...and quite enjoyed it now, though I wonder about their other albums
Clássico
Альбом показался довольно интересным, но он не в моем вкусе. Местами звучит однообразно, хотя текст цепляющий. Из треков могу выделить Electric Feel и Kids. Переслушивать не стану, поэтому - твердая тройка.
I feel like this album was sneakily groundbreaking. It's lyrics are poignant and the music is attention grabbing.
22nd November 2021 Funnily enough listened to the vinyl of this on Saturday as we had sav and Sally round and he bought it for my birthday. But Listened today while I painted the spare room. Takes me right back to being a teenager, love it. I'm in the prime of my life...memories of calais, dakota, there's some arcade fire vibes in there which emphasises all of this.
This was everywhere a few years back. Quite fun in a psych synth rave kind of a way, but apart from the singles nothing very memorable.
College alt-pop for a later generation than mine
Typisch soort popmuziek. Best wel leuk
Not really my thing but it was good for a single listen
Super fun psychedelic pop.
One of those records where you just want to grab one of the dudes in the band and go, “DO YOU NOT HEAR WHAT YOU’RE GOOD AT?? JUST DO THAT. JUST DO THAT THING. GET RID OF ALL THAT OTHER SHIT. PLEEEASE!” Could’ve been such a good dancey-synthy-indie-pop thing. Alas…
Great pop songs and beats.
A few real good bops on here
Couple of belters, but don't need to listen to the full album.
Love the hits, wanted to love the rest more than I did
In its entirety, this album was different than the hits, and thus different than I expected- like a few moments I'd say I heard some 60s psychedelia- but I enjoyed it. I'd have to listen again to see if I'd up it to a 4, but I might give it a 3.5. (I think I need to start specifying .5s in my ratings because I'm giving so many 3s that it feels like it doesn't mean as much.)
Forgot how great Kids and Electric Feel were, such amazing tunes. Loved Time to Pretend as well and the rest were fine but not the same quality. Enjoyed it but apart from the three singles, not memorable.
I didn't think I had heard of this band but knew a lot of the songs. Pleasant to listen to but nothing that really stood out
A kitchen sink of styles and sounds many of them compelling. I don't know how to describe the album but I know that I like a lot of it. 3.5 🌟
Aside from the three hits, I didn’t really find this a very exciting album. I really like those three hits, though!
// Favs: Time To Pretend / Kids / Of Moons Birds And Monsters Score: Decent to Strong 3
I actually find the big tracks off this really fucking irritating (and bizarrely similar) This aside there was still plenty on this that I really enjoyed. Quite cool for the most part.
An average album elevated by two absolutely stunning tracks.
Nothing too dislikeable and a couple of genuinely great tunes but never deserving of the hype they received
“Oracular Spectacular” by MGMT (2007) Rolling Stone magazine maintains its existence by casting about for innovation, like a surfer scanning for the next big wave on the musical seascape. In the relentless search for something new, on cue, MGMT rolls right onto the beach in this synth pop party boat of aural diversions. But these guys are smart enough to not stray too far from classic rhythms, chord structures, melodies, and harmonies. Nothing categorically aboriginal. Sounds like a formula for success to me. Playful (over?)use of echo and celesta-sounding garnish. Sometimes the fuzzy ‘quiver’ effect sounds like objectionable distortion, but maybe that’s just my 66-year old ears. Indeed, the album title aptly describes what they are trying to achieve, but they are only modestly successful. Lyrics that are frequently impenetrable, except for the opening track (“Time to Pretend”) that, as parody, rises to the level of the provocative and even the profound. I dearly hope they’re neither serious nor accidentally prophetic. And, despite the promotional cover art and music video, the referential connections with William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies” are unconvincing. Beelzebub would be Beelzebored. The lyrics on the rest of the album stay pretty close to the shore. There are plenty of poetically palate-pleasing pieces to chew on, but, as they ask, “Pieces of What”? However, it’s far from a nihilistic wallow. There are some expressions reflecting genuine appreciation of what’s good, true, and beautiful. These lyrical themes will not damage your soul. But the sounds on this album? Andrew VanWyngarden’s annoyingly whiny lead vocal almost becomes almost endearing toward the end. And there are plenty of sonic textures to entertain. But the collection is neither portentous nor revelatory, and hence not oracular. And while it’s good, it’s a bit shy of spectacular. 3/5
Fine.
I have seen this band live because a friend had an extra ticket. They were fine, but there wasn't much of their music that resonated with me. This album has some good tracks, but the second half really lags. I do enjoy the interesting synth worth though. It's a good album, just not something I'd willingly put on.
Best song: The Youth
Mhhmhmmhm. Godbitar. "Time to pretend" drar igång i samma stund som jag kliver ut på gräsmattan för lite klippning. Mitt mode är på topp och jag känner att mattan kommer bli fin. De följande låtarna är inte på något sätt dåliga men det är heller inga som kommer gå till historieböckerna. Sedan när "Electric feel" drar igång, så drar även jag igång. Nu rullar det på. Klipparen som vanligtvis krånglar och hakar upp sig med jämna mellanrum går som en varm kniv genom smör och de ställen som man brukar behöva gå över flera gånger klipps till perfekt vid första passering. Ingen förändring i klippningens lätthet sker heller när albumets bästa låt kommer direkt därpå, oj vad jag klipper. Kvaliteten på gräset som är kvar efter denna låt blir något sämre men jag klassar det ändå som klart godkänt. När hela gräsmattan är kortklippt och albumet är slut kan jag bara summera det som lyckat. Bäst: "Kids"
Blegh, background music. Did recognize a few tunes though.
Pink floyd turned a bit poppish.
an album with my person teenage year trifecta of catchy pop songs, Time to Pretend, Electric Feel, Kids!
Meh. I wish we could give half stars because this is just middle-of-the-road. 2.5 stars.
This album is alright. The songs everyone really knows were super overplayed in the late 2000s.
Lots of noise, sometimes melodical, always "artsy". Was there lyrics?
Singles were always good. Rest is meh
I like most of the songs in this album in some way or another. Still I don't feel it entirely cohesive in itself.
First 5 songs are excellent but goes down hill a bit from there. Still really good though.
Té hitazos però
Die paar hitjes zijn zo geweldig dat ik hier nog 3 sterren voor wil geven...
Kende de hitjes wel, maar had het album nog nooit in zijn geheel geluisterd. Moet dit denk nog vaker luisteren om het te laten landen, maar klonk zeker niet verkeerd
Een groot verschil in kwaliteit tussen de drie bekende tracks (die echt heel goed zijn!) en de rest van het album wat er een beetje bij gepropt lijkt te zijn.
‘Mgmt!’ dacht ik toen ik zag welke plaat we moesten luisteren. Maar een hele plaat viel toch een beetje tegen.
Good listen
Looking forward to this having read it's produced by Dave Fridmann. A couple of absolute bangers and I like the Lennon/Flaming Lips/Tame Impalaesque style of a lot of the rest, although song writing maybe not up to the level of those others. Generally I enjoyed it. Favourite album of this Odyssey so far.
First five tracks are fucking bangers!
5
Fun album with more of a psych streak outside of the big singles. 'Weekend Wars' and 'The Handshake' are the strongest tracks. 6/10, going to throw up if I ever have to listen to 'Kids' again.
three huge songs! rest of the album is good too.
Modern, cheerful, bit strange.
It was okay. Some good songs.
mola
Ihan jees, olinkin kuullut jo aiemmin. Mielenkiintoinen indierock / elektroninen yhdistelmä.
interesting. not entirely my style, but interesting.
false
More psychadelic / folk vibes than the singles let on.
fun!
Overall, I enjoy this album mainly as I have fond memories of play EA games, who loves indie bands like MGMT, ‘Time to Pretend’ and ‘Kids’ were even used. It was the first album I heard that tried to combine Britpop with a synth-pop over the top, at the time it was very original. It led to the album being very fun and feeling fresh when it came out in my childhood and this showed how popular ‘Kids’ became. I still like the album now, but it feels very early and underdeveloped on other tracks especially ‘Pieces of What’ which was the weakest unoriginal album in my opinion. As stated, the album is fun and takes me back, but I don’t feel like most of the tracks stand out meaning the whole album is forgettable. Without ‘Time to Pretend’ and ‘Kids’ I don’t think I would have even known or listened to this album much, it is original but still in an ep/learning state.
Cool album, enjoyed all the songs, none bad, singles I had heard but pleasantly surprised with the rest
This album takes me back to 2007 and beyond. That year I realized a lot about myself and left a shit relationship to strike out and find stuff on my own. Also, Time to Pretend always makes me think of the pilot episode of HBO's "Girls" now.
3.5; Still holds up & feels experimental and fun. Could be nostalgia though.
Always mostly liked this one
A solid alternative record, but the songs do tend to sound pretty monotonous.
A few good songs. A few I didn't care for.
Nope
This album is certainly for a certain age range/place in life. I think most of the positive feelings and thoughts I had about this album were purely based on nostalgia. If today was the first time I heard Electric Feel, I would not enjoy it lol. The first 10 seconds of the album immediately transported me, so that’s impressive. The only song on here I could even imagine myself ever purposely listening to again is Of Birds, Moons, and Monsters, but I probably won’t.
Meh.
these guys overall is good, fun album 💥time to pretend 💥electric feel 💥kids
Favourite songs from this album: - Time to Pretend - The Youth - Electric Feel - Of Moons, Birds & Monsters - The Handshake
I can hear why this is on the list (which is not always the case), but not my cup of tea.
I hate to be that guy, but it's got the three good songs and then not much else going on. Would've thought this had a three written all over it, but the second side is pretty brutal.
more oasis-y influence on some of the tracks than I expected (weekend wars). lots of classic songs on here. Did not expect something like the Youth on here - doesn’t sound at all like their popular songs. a little slow and boring build up. Electric feel - kinda boring, realizing the mix falls a little flat nowadays. this was mixed during the apple headphones and macbook speakers era for sure. Kids - biggest bop on the album hands down. also last song i recognize on the track list. Scary ass music video iirc. Pieces of what sounds like their attempt at the stones. not bad but not particularly good Of Moons Birds and Monsters was pretty dope. Longer track with cool production. Build up at the end like I want you shes so heavy by the beatles. Actually very very clearly influenced, doesn’t cut off suddenly though. The handshake is okay too. Way more acoustic guitar on this album than i expected. I was expecting something synth bops like the lead singles. Last song goes full Bowie. I like the baseline that kicks in at around 1:30 in. Really dig the vocal delivery on the verses here - more lowkey than the rest of the album. Pretty cool melodies on this one. Cool guitar lead that’s very classic rock kicks in at some point. This might be my third favorite song on the album. Definitely closes on a high note. Overall album was pretty OK - a lot more tame than I expected. I thought the non single songs were just gonna be more experimental versions of the synth pop that the singles are, but they are more just standard alt rock sounding songs.
Boring synth pop. The only part I liked on this entire album was the first 20 seconds of "The Handshake".
Sounds like a thing that hipster cartoon character would listen to, very flannel shirt, beard and basic white girl festival vibes trying to be deep
Kids and electric feel are good driving beats Rest of songs not the same vibe
Nostalgic because I used to hear it but not really something I'd listen to.
I'm not usually bothered by songs being overplayed, but man, were these singles overplayed. The rest of the tracks are rather dreary and forgettable. Had to skip Pieces of What when I couldn't take the vocals anymore.
Jamais écouté avant. Un album de pop électro-psychédélique pas fondamentalement désagréable à écouter, et qui contient d'authentiques tubes, mais qui copie d'un peu trop près ses évidentes influences pour totalement convaincre, d'autant que lesdites influences sont trop éclectiques pour offrir une colonne vertébrale solide. La production foisonnante pourrait sauver le disque et permettre à la musique du duo d'être plus qu'une suite de jingles accrocheurs pour la publicité, si ces derniers ne cédaient pas tant à certaines facilités mélodiques qui ont pris un gros coup de vieux. Dommage, car le talent est probablement là. Top : Weekend Wars Flop : Future Reflections
I actually recognized more songs on here than expected ("Time to Pretend", "The Youth", "Electric Feel" and "Kids"). Mostly from movie soundtracks although I first heard "Electric Feel" as a remix when I was lifting early in the mornings to electronic/trance music. I can see how this album could make people feel nostalgia for a past they might not have lived through with it's dreamy/synth 80's feel. For me it didn't but instead reminded me of background music from movies I'd seen but couldn't place.
The may be pioneers in their music - but I found the music not to my taste :(
I was quite looking forward to this one. I loved the album Little Dark Age but for some reason, never really explored the band further, so I had high hopes. I wouldn't exactly say those hopes were dashed, but they certainly weren't upheld. It was fine. But just that. Kids stands up as a good single, but it's hardly earth-shattering. The rest of the album was just... fine.
MEH!
Day934 - there’s a point when life’s so busy you don’t listen to new music, the mid aughts were that time and there’s not much music from those years that i like
не фанат голоса вокалиста. захотелось выключить посреди прослушивания. понравилась песнь 4th dimension на этом все
shiny, catchy dance music inoffensive, inessential
Has the 2 songs everyone knows, however this feels like a novelty record. Elements of talk talk that were done 10 times better by them. One to avoid really
2 leuke liedjes, maar ook een paar die je snel wil overslaan
The album that sparked “which potato are you” in the BuzzFeed office
It has a bunch of original classics in that album, but it's not one of their best albums. I found myself quite bored of it and I really wanted it to be over
Beh
Kinda overplayed, last few songs were ok
Gode gymnasieminder! Men udover de RIGTIG gode sange er det sådan lidt middel
Besides the 3 obvious bangers, there's not much to come for here. So little that I'll deduct one of the bangers.
I was looking forward to this one because it was listed on the Rolling Stone top 500 albums of all time in 2012. Sadly there is just not much here to pique my interest. ⭐️⭐️
Enjoyable but not earth shattering. The songs I knew previously i enjoyed but didn't find much else to keep me coming back to this as an album format. Amongst the greatest albums of all times this one lacks a little.
Listening to this in 2026 was an exercise of hearing the first few seconds of whatever hook and going "Oh yeah this song... I hate this song". Every time I got to a traffic light I turned it down out of embarrassment. This was a dumb era of music that outstayed its welcome being played in the bouldering gym along with Passion Pit, Coconut Records and Bon Iver.
i just liked 1 song: "of moon, birds and monsters" the rest of the album put me to sleep. 2 stars.
Vale no me esperaba que al primera canción fuera una de esas canciones icónicas que has escuchado antes, me gustaria saber mas del album por la web pero bueno estoy emocionada por descubir nueva músicaaaa
Decent album but not my style.
Ei ollut niin huono kuin luulin. Muttei omankaltaista musiikkia ollenkaan. 2/5.
The hits hit. The other ones are alright.
This album was pretty cool. Lot of cool electronic beats and instrumentals. Wasn’t my favorite but also wasn’t bad.
I certainly remember MGMT hitting the scene, and I do think it has significance as a herald of music to come in the Obama era. That said, as an album it doesn't do much for me beyond the singles.
Minecraft movie
Favourite song Time to Pretend. Not the best album TBH
In my opinion, it's good but it feels like it's half-hearted, some of the tracks at the beginning are worse than the tracks at the end, the lyrics are really great, it's like it's hard to understand but it's also good, every sentence seems to have a mystery, overall it's just average, a bit bad
mid-aughts rich white boy pop. mid being the operative word.
I knew this time would come and I fully understand why this album would be on the list, but I just don't like it. I don't care how many times people tell me that I need to give it another chance because it's actually a phenomenal psychedelic album. Trust me, I've tried in the past and I tried again today. I still just cannot stand hearing Time to Pretend, Electric Feel, or Kids. It's not that they're bad songs, I get why someone would like them, it's just that their success meant that these songs were absolutely unavoidable and I've heard them too many times. Art is subjective, the ratings for this project are subjective, I don't like this and that's alright.
Fun, I enjoyed listening to this whole album. However I really only connected with the ones I already knew. Might need revisiting
Meh. Bad songwriting. Occasionally all the elements come together to form something great but it’s as rare as a Nat 20
Can't connect with it. The music is okay, the electronic elements are catchy, don't like the voice. Time to Pretend is good though.
Feels like the kind of music that a dj would use, i personally wouldnt listen to it again and it didnt really hit me. Kind of plain and the flow stayed the same most of the way through, some popular songs i recognise but even then they weren't very appealing.
Ok turns out i know this band from the radio. First song is pretty good but either not my style or was overplayed. Feels like this album was made out of or with the goal of money, not passion
I really thought I would like this album more. I remember it making a splash when it first came out, but I guess it's never been my style. I liked "Weekend Wars" the best.
Okay...learning there are lots of styles of musics i dont know and its ok id I don't like.
It wasn't horrible, but it is definitely something I will never listen to again.