Oracular Spectacular

Iconic

Beh

This is the musical equivalent of a little black dress: equally at home in the office, at the club, or soundtracking an existential crisis on the drive home.

I'd give anything to be out and about and in college when this came out.

Who?. Strangely knew a few of the songs. Pleasant enough in the background.

Classics erverybody born in the 2000s knows and some nice deepcuts like The Youth and 4th Dimensionel Transition

Loooove

I don’t blame anyone if they don’t like this, but this kind of quirky alt stuff works for me

Kinda overplayed, last few songs were ok

No thanks.

Banal (adjective): describes something so ordinary, unoriginal, or predictable that it becomes boring or lacks any fresh perspective. It is typically used to criticize things that are cliché, hackneyed, or overused to the point of being uninteresting

Taking Yoshimi to the disco…

An album steeped in irony and satire that inadvertently defined the next decade of popular music. While I've always taken issue with the attitude of the band at the time, the resulting music has always resonated with me and will always have a nostalgic quality. They also went on to make some even better records after dropping some of the annoying hipster attitude.

MGMT - Oracular Spectacular Strong album all the way through. I think I bought this on CD at the time Standout : Time to Pretend ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

*gordon Ramsay voice* finally some good freakin food Playlist add: "Time to Pretend"

The nostalgia is strong with this one They seemed to have been deeply inspired by the 60s and the Beatles They have some catchy melodies and are not afraid to experiment. Time to Pretend, Kids, and 4th Dimensional Transition are great. Lead vocals remind me of 21 Pilots

(4/7) I didn't know these guys were as famous as they seem to be

De kendte numre bærer albummet, de er til gengæld også super fede

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.

Wasn't this album built on cynicism, irony, and sarcasm? I heard the whole thing was started as a joke about the rock n roll lifestyle. Second worst concert I ever went to, BUT, despite being a parody and a terrible live show, I still really like most of this album (and I don't particularly like Kids).

The best thing to come out of 2007 fr! This album is a classic, it’s the sound track of a good time. Electric Feel alone is five stars but the entire project lives up to that record. My girl said her teacher used to play this album all the time while they were doing work in class, I know that guy had one hell of a life outside of school.

A few songs I really love. Overall, a bit uneven.

I did like the songs that I already knew like: Electric feel, Kids and Time to pretend. The rest of the songs on the album I didn't really noticed

🤌🏻

The best album to hangout with friends at a beach while the sun sets and just take in the moment

Det var faktisk et rigtigt fint album. Jeg tror måske jeg havde forventet lidt flere "hits" i og med der er 3 kæmpe sange derfra. Men jeg synes faktisk alt var helt ok

Surprisingly a few tracks I knew. But besides Time To Pretend and Kids the other tracks are not as consistent. Some great tracks, Future Reflections and 4th Dimensional Transition, but also some weak tracks, The Handshake for example. 3/5

Что-то очень красиво, что-то абсолютный проходняк, я ожидала больше бенгеров …

Did this just switch to a different album halfway through? First half - Incredibly good 60s/70s rock updated to what sells in the 00s. They took the best from Bowie and The Beatles and updated it in a way that it still sounds good, unlike the seemingly dozens of other albums like this that are on this list. 5 Second half - Exactly like those seemingly dozens of other albums. Updated psychedelic rock that sounds like every other generic indie album from this time. 3

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. ⭐️⭐️

decent album. his voice is a little annoying to me. favourite song: kids (obviously)

I have heard several of these songs before ("Time to Pretend", "Electric Feel", and "Kids"). They're all so catchy and ethereal at the same time. The album is reminiscent of baroque pop to me, with the twist of effective synths and other unique instrumentation. Those elements made it more likable to me.

the youth and electric feel was awesome

The first album from the 21st century that's been sent to me. I really like it. I recognize a lot of the songs but even the ones that I didn't were really good. I think this album really captures 2008 and what being a young adult during that time was like.

I remember liking this album when it came out but I feel like I bounced off of it rather quickly. This album still rocks, I'm really digging it. There are a few hits on it but the songs that are less heard are also really great. Glad this album hold up, not quite 5 stars but still worth a listen.

started off strong but faded into unnoteworthiness

I enjoyed it, but it's very of its time

Interesante.

I’ll be damned, the public reviews aren’t wrong, I CAN hear some David Bowie passing through these songs. Whether it’s the entirety of “Weekend Wars” or the shouty delivery one minute into “4th Dimensional Transition”, he’s here! Crazy. What’s more impressive is that these two are able to emulate one of Bowie’s greatest traits: being a mouthpiece for the youth and how it feels to be young. We all know about “Kids”, a song so pretty that it’s culturally synonymous with an entire generation of folks that grew up listening to it. “Time To Pretend” and “Electric Feel” are similar! Especially that Justice remix of the latter, which heightened Oracular Spectacular’s status on music blogs to something mystical. Having 20 more years of MGMT’s discography for comparison, it’s striking how much “Of Moons Birds and Monsters” sounds like a cut from their Little Dark Age project, or even Loss Of Life from just a few years ago. The music and all the visual accompaniments fit together so well to create this vibrant, colorful, whimsical, youthful package. MGMT carved out their own space between pop and something more alternative, where they’ve been a mainstay in the decades since. This record has aged beautifully compared to so many others from its time. Strong 4/5

This album still stands up well and you hear "Time To Pretend" (643M Spotify listens), "Kids" (1.2B) and "Electric Feel" (1.1B) once a week even today. It's a shame they never had another output as golden as this one. Those three songs are alt rock royalty and will remain so for a long time, based on that alone this deserves a spot in the Top 1001 (the first time I've said that in about 12-15 albums). The album sure doesn't sound 19 yrs old! The songs are alive, and make you move, and don't sound like the alt band next door. His voice is likeable, clear & it fits the songs. The keyboards are electric and memorable as they lead the charge. So much more enjoyable to listen to than some shoe gazer band from Yorkshire who never hit it in the US (like so many albums on this list). 4 stars for hits, longevity and originality. It's not perfect but the good stuff far outweighs the weak stuff.

Another one with great hits, definitely ahead of its time and makes that impact.

Good mix of indie pop, very enjoyable

arguably their masterpiece. unreal debut album. influential to the indie electronic genre. timeless music

Loved this album perfect combination of grooves and experimental writing.

Songs i've already heard: - Time to pretend (4) Honestly the perfect nostalgic song. I still remember this youtube animation edit I watched a while ago that used this song. - Electric feel (2) No me gusta. Just an annoying song. - Kids (3.5) An interesting song but kind of overly optimistic sounding? Very catchy, kind of a 50/50 on whether or not id skip it. I like the last verse. It would definitely go so hard live. New songs: weekend wars (2) mid the youth (2.75) Better but I don't love it sonically or lyrically. It's a little eerie and feels a bit out of place? Kind of gives David Bowie and maybe a little Beatles? 4th dimensional transition (3.5) Space cowboy is the vibe i'd assign to this song. Western while also being futuristic. I like the lyrics. Pieces of what (3) The most beatles so far and also feels a little western. I liked it best when it picked up with the percussion. Also refreshingly short compared to other songs. Of Moons, Birds, & Monsters (2.25) didn't like this one very much at all. I tend to like their instruments a lot more than the vocals and this was one of those cases. The instrumental after the verses was pretty nice and kind of psychedelic feeling, but I really disliked the vocals so its dragging down the rating. The handshake (2) Just all around not my style or genre of music. Don't have much to say besides that. Future reflections (2) nothing to say about this one

Has some really popular songs but not all are bangers. 3.5/5

Time to pretend: 8/10 'I've heard this one before! Weekend wars: 6/10 'love the instruments here. The youth: 8/10 'idk I really loved the lyrics. Electric feel: 10/10 'So fucking groovy. Kids: 10/10 'ive been listening to this for years. 4th dimensional transition: 7/10 'pretty solid. Pieces of what: 5/10 'it was good, just not great. Of moons birds and monsters: 10/10 'no notes. The handshake: 5/10 'I kinda like this one but idk. Future reflections: 7/10 'different vibe from the rest. But it's good.

Calliope pop with all sounds considered. Cheeky, sarcastic fun.

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.

Touch of beatles, reconiseble,

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.

Это один из наиболее хипстерско-нулевых-альбомов который я слышал в своей жизни. Не ну в принципе прикольно, но как-то ну очень попсово и рафинировано, чувствуешь себя каким-то рафом на кокосовом когда это слушаешь, особенно в теперешние времена звучит это все ну слишком сладко, плоско и скучно.

Yeah... I enjoyed that.

It's fine pop. Whatever

Great album

Very cool album. I could listen to it and them a lot.

I had forgotten how good this album was! This is a no skip album, great mix of electronica and alternative. They are creative songwriters and the music is fun and danceable at times. It has great variety and starts with a great run of about 5 killer songs. I hear some great influences from the Butthole Surfers and Flaming Lips to the Rolling Stones. Great album I will be looking to add to my collection

Two of the greatest songs ever written (kids, electric feel) a great hit (time to pretend), a great song (of moons), and then a bunch of okay stuff and some not very good baroque pop esque tracks. Easy 4, I can see why the milenials ate this up.

i just liked 1 song: "of moon, birds and monsters" the rest of the album put me to sleep. 2 stars.

Celkom v pohode

It’s fine.

Tämähän oli aika toimiva yhdistelmä elektronista musiikkia ja indie rockia. Voisin kuunnella joskus uudestaankin. Kids-biisin olin kuullut aiemminkin.

Nice music.

Pretty chill album in a time where music was becoming garbage. The only thing I don’t like is the guy’s kiddie whiny voice

I understand why people like this, just... its not for me.

Really good song of a specific era I barely remember

I can say that MGMT sounds unlike other bands mining this territory. The songs are well constructed and the singles, Kids, Time To Pretend, and Electric Feel are bangers. What many will miss is that the rest of the album is also good with carefully crafted catchy songs. The 2nd half of the record is better than the first in my mind as these pop songs are given more space. Sure it’s goofy at times but it is so fun that you forgive some missteps because enthusiasm and energy can cover up lots of minor faults. Catchy enjoyable bedroom headphone pop. Spectacular. Oracular as well. 4/5

A great 40min album. Hits but everything is a great

Dang! I do not know what I expected from this album, but I thought it was really good. I’ve only heard a couple of MGMT songs before this, but this album was definitely the best way to get further introduced to them. For being a mainly electronic album, they did a good job at fusing both synths with real instruments. Probably the most effective thing about the album is the kind of feeling it evokes, it almost feels like a soundtrack to nostalgia. Songs like Kids and Future Reflections evoke this feeling of a carefree youth and almost summery vibes. Other songs like Electric Feel and Of Moons, Birds, and Monsters also stand out for more out there lyrical content, but they still retain the quality of the other tracks. It’s definitely an album that lends itself to a summer listening, and it is a quality album for the duo to start out their career.

9. Muy entretenido

Sounded pretty good.

Millennial music final boss. The indie yelp didn't age well for this thing. Some undeniable hits and fantastic production, but the project as a whole is super dated. Time to Pretend and Kids are fantastic tho (mainly Kids)

preety fyare

Apparently, this album is very well known and listened by billions... I'm a particularly new to Indietronica, so I can't say much, but basing my listening experience from Boards of Canada and Aphex Twin, this record feels different. It leans more to lighter yet somber vibe of beats and lyrical structure. It's an okay cup of tea. It kind of makes me sleepy... What's with the beats that makes it like that?

I loved this.

2.7/5 3 really great songs and then the rest were pretty average.

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

Fantastic, i guess.

i trekked through the burning steppes to this album in 2010

nostalgia pushes this from 4 to 5

Listened to this album a bunch when I was younger. "Kids" mesmerized me. I still like it a lot, but doesn't hit me the same way as it use to :(

It was enjoyable. Something different.

Absolutely wore this album out on my iPod shuffle in the late 2000s. Appreciated that it sounded so fresh and unlike other things being put out at that time.

Decent album but not my style.

🙂

YES. i guess kids stayed a banger after all these years while many other songs don’t hold up to its quality that well. still a 4/5.

I liked this more than I thought I would, although please don't take this as a ringing endorsement.

Wow. MGMT eh. Where to begin? Firstly, how could some random undergrads playing on laptops outside student halls invent not one, not two, but three all time bangers? Second, despite the ubiquity of these bangers, how is it no one has ever listened to the album or any further singles? Thirdly, are they OK? And finally, how can this be almost 20 years old? That must mean I am older than 20 years old?

It’s pretty good, nevertheless not close to my taste or it doesn’t “hit” me instantly. It’s good though

When i was young I was not really into this. But over the years its grown on me more and more. Still not my favorite thing ever but its pretty good. That electro pop or indie thing is just almost perfected here. There were 3 or 4 platinum hit here. Kids, electric feel, and time to pretend are all amazing. The youth is also a under rated banger. Some of the others are OK but not that amazing. I like the vibe but the songs are only decent. But the highs outweigh the lows for sure. The highs are incredibly high. These guys have very interesting stuff. Im should go forward in their catalog for sure. Good record with some very amazing songs

First half bangers

Would I listen again: yes Kids & time to pretend are great but I already knew that. The songs I didn’t know were cool but not dying to listen to them again

Overplayed the hits on this one. Never heard the rest of it and I really dug it. I guess credit is due to the songs I find annoying today because of how much I once loved them.

Ei ollut niin huono kuin luulin. Muttei omankaltaista musiikkia ollenkaan. 2/5.

Oracular Spectacular was certainly a really good listen. When i first saw the album, i thought it was just gonna be a full blown electronic album but while it has heavy electronic elements, there are also several elements of indie rock too. Personally, this is one of those albums where the singles steal the show. Time To Pretend, Electric Feel and Kids are all fantastic songs and were easily the highlights of the album. The rest of the songs are still solid but they are a bit forgettable since they don't do too much to stand out but they are still nice listening experiences. This album probably would have been a 3 star album but due to the three singles being as good as they are, i decided to push this album up to a 4. Best Song: Time To Pretend Worst Song: 4th Dimensional Transition Side note: God, what was that music video for Kids?! That was one of the most insane things ever. This mother must have either let the TV raise her kid or given him LSD. Either way, she's an awful parent

Great album! Definitely always reminds me of the old college years and the singles that came from this are still listened to today!

Techno sound. Surprised by how different the songs sounded. I thought a lot of them were going to have a much more similar sound. Recognized a couple of the songs on here. I think I would like a few of those songs more if they hadn’t been played to death on social media. Pleasantly surprised here.

Nt trrbl

objectively a very good album and has some really memorable hits. can't say i will be relistening much though as it reminds me too much of how it felt to be a #sad teenager

I basically have to give this one a 5 stars for Electric Feel alone. But not only that but Kids, Time to Pretend and Weekend Wars are all great. 4th Dimensional Transition was a new one I quite liked.

6/10

Favorite Track: Time to Pretend Least Favorite Track: Weekend Wars

Have I listened to this album before? No How familiar am I with this album? I know 2 songs How do I feel about this artist? Neutral, I like the radio hits Pre-Listen Thoughts: Excited to hear the whole album Favorite track(s): Electric Feel Post-Listen Thoughts: More than just the radio hits, a fun listen!

Such an unusual album, but I think it holds up. The main singles are all still pretty great, especially Kids.

4,5

Solid hits. Perfect album for a sunny afternoon in the park. Didn’t enjoy the deep cuts as much.

Innovative sound, the hits are total bangers, the other songs are pretty forgettable

Solid debut from a young and talented group. Goldwasser and Van Wyngarden demonstrate clear knowledge of past musical genres such as psychedelia and electronica while being creative enough to add their style and voice. The first half of the album contained many memorable songs such as "Kids" that brilliantly captured youthful innocence combined with the bitter sweetness of having to grow up anf become an adult. The second half was clearly inspired by the Beatles and Pink Floyd, with riffs like Harrison on guitar, and innovations that paid homage to greats. 3.5/5

If it is possible to have a psychadelic pop easy listening album, this is it. I dont mean this in a bad way. I just found it easy to have on in the car, in the background. Might be because rhat one song Kids got flogged on triple J and most of their songs sound a bit the same, so my brain auto-defaulted there.

First half is much better than second by far

First half is a 5/5, second half is a 3 or maybe even slightly less, it feels like a 3 overall even with such good stuff in the first half. If Congratulations comes up I'll give it a 5 tho

Good one

Would listen again, hadn't realised I knew some of their songs. One for the summer days.

I obviously know mgmt from the 3 singles on this album, but knew surprisingly little outside of that. I was pleasantly surprised with how good the other tracks were too. This is probably the first album on this that I could see myself adding to my day to day listening. Favorite songs: time to pretend, kids, of moons, birds, and monsters

Huge fan of this album. Time to Pretend, Kids, and Electric feel are all incredible songs. While I enjoy the album front to back, the rest of the songs are just a bit too filler-y to be a true 5. Easy 4.5 though.

Meh

First half of album was great. Second half forgettable.

MGMT – Oracular Spectacular (2007) The album started off incredibly strong, carrying a deeply nostalgic and youthful energy that hits right away. "Time to Pretend" was great, setting a fantastic tone, as were "Weekend Wars" and "The Youth", which I really liked for its distinct vibe. Moving further into that legendary run, "Electric Feel" was fantastic, and "Kids" was absolutely amazing, perfectly capturing that irreplaceable, carefree feeling of growing up. The production and melody choices on this front half are immaculate, creating a massive, anthemic momentum. However, the record fell short of a perfect score because the second half completely lost its footing and turned off that vibrant energy. The shift into slower, hazy, and experimental psychedelic tracks felt like a total departure from the brilliant pacing established early on. Because it lost its momentum midway through, it misses the highest mark but remains a very solid 4/5.

Really enjoyed this album. Great sound and overall vibe. Music, lyrics, tempo all strong almost to the end.

People who were 18 when this came out must be almost 40 now, but it still feels like "young people music," even if "almost 40" doesn't sound young. So I guess that's a tribute to how fresh and optimistic this album is?

Couple of hits that Ive heard before. I don't really see the appeal to most of it. Don't think I would listen to more.

One of the greatest produced music here. This is one of the best musically easy to listen for everyone and i respect that!

173. nice

Lots of great, lots of meh. I'll round up to 4 because they have a unique thing going, and worthy of respect.

I dunno. I listened to this whole album on Thursday and I can't remember a single thing about it.

It has their ultra-bangers but feels a little disjointed which is probably a legacy of how the album came out well after they had made Time to Pretend. I prefer a couple of other albums for a whole album listen, but there are a lot of tracks on here that are worth the time. This is a solid document of the time, for sure.

Time to Pretend is great. I found the rest, well, not spectacular.

5/5 - Reflective of a time in oughts music and sentiments. Those were the days. It has the hits, but the album cuts are almost uniformly great too. Feels like a Flaming Lips album, but taken to the next level. And Time to Pretend is, of course, an all-time banger.

The hits hit. The other ones are alright.

1st song the hipster coffee house of my childhood, or a retail store.

awesome

In Fall 2005, about a week into my freshman year of college, I went to go see Of Montreal, a band I knew little about -- I was just looking for an excuse to see some live music. The opening band was "The Management" (before they became MGMT). They performed, as a duo, in neon orange zip up hoodies with no shirt underneath. There was no band, just push button backing tracks. The songs sounded goofy, dripping with irony, and the 2 singers carried themselves in a very unserious way. Which is why I was shocked to see this album blow up 2 years later, and even more surprised by the critical praise they've sustained for a couple decades -- some people talk about MGMT like they're the goddamn Beach Boys. 20ish laters, this album still sounds somewhere between "joke music" and the firehose of generic indie pop that dominated my classmates' iTunes libraries back in college. I can see why some of these songs, especially the singles, make people nostalgic for the 2000s "hipster" era, but I find them mostly irritating.

Of course iconic

A great indie rock/pop album. 'Kids' will never stop being a nostalgic tune from the days of playing FIFA 09. 8/10

sounds i'm familiar with sounds i'm tired of sounds that felt nostalgic before turning into annoying and forgotten 3/5

Nostalgia inducing, for me anyway. Really fun and innovative album. Bridged a gap between indie pop and electronic music which were both very popular at the time. I do not know if this album could have been released at any other time and be as successful. Also, one of my all-time favorite songs in "Electric Feel."

When I saw this was my album for the day i did not have high expectations. But this album is now one of my favorites introduced by this website. Favorite song: Time To Pretend

super nostalgic, super average

Time to Pretend, Kids, and Electric Feel ate overplayed af; I don't really ever need to heat them again, so this listen was mostly to hear the rest of the album which I hadn't listened to since the 00's. I think the other songs hold up. It's not my favorite MGMT album, but it's pretty fucking good

Definitely standing on the shoulders of giants. It’s at times a little Bowie, T Rex and Flaming Lips. A great mix of undeniable pop hits and psychedelic tunes.

The album hits all the right notes and makes all the right connections with me. ‘The youth’ made me look down to see if Arcade Fire had started playing. ‘4th dimensional translation’ made me think I was listening to David Bowie. And the album was strong throughout. I didn’t realise the radio version of ‘time to pretend’ was so different to the album version 😳 On the downside a few songs outstayed their welcome- ‘kids’ especially felt like it could Easily have been 90 seconds shorter. Fave track- ‘the youth’ Worst track- ‘pieces of what’ Overall score a massively strong 8.5/10

I SAID OHHH GIRLLL

I really like it!

Time to Pretend, Electric Feel… all popular for good reason. This album had multiple hits

For some reason, all the best music was the stuff I found at 15. Scientists are still searching for the reason behind this phenomenon.

It was quite a nostalgic sound.

I agree with someone who said here that's there's a little bit of Bowie here, maybe a bit less sophisticated, but still satisfying pop music with nice psychedelia

Haven't listened to this for a long time, and it's better than I remembered. Only a couple of weak tracks, and consistently interesting. Lyrics aren't necessarily a strong point but I was impressed by the quality of Time to Pretend and the boldness of making fun of a rick star lifestyle they were yet to achieve (perhaps unsurprisingly at least one of them has dated a number of models). A fun listen and one of relatively few examples where the list manages to identify an album from the last 10-20 years that actually holds up

one of the only true modern classics

Elektronista emo-ish poppia. Paljon syntikkasoundeja. Osa biiseistä ihan jees.

this album feels like pure nostalgia and freedom

Enjoyable enough. Didn't really leave an impression, good or bad.

Too bad there aren't more MGMT albums on this list. All of them are interesting and unique in their own ways, and this is the one that stands out for being the most accessible yet tongue in cheek. Despite the singles being unmistakably mid-2000s, they are still interesting and the other tracks are pretty fun too.

good pop music nothing outstanding

These guys completely passed me by at the time, and let's face it - Rock music as a commercial force was completely dead and anything interesting was buried. I knew a couple of these songs, from adverts, but had not listened in full. Good lyrics. Guy does a strange Mick Jagger impression with his voice. It's fine.

The melody in the song “Kids” makes me feel emotions that I have absolutely no idea how to put into words. It’s beyond just a synthy-pop song, but again I have to way to reasonably articulate my feelings on it into words. It might be my millennial bias showing through, but this song alone puts this album at 5* for me. I know the rest of the album fairly well, and I think it would be surprisingly dynamic to someone who only knows the radio singles. I love this record, and I’ll continue to love this record. 5*

There are a lot of bands that sound like a faceless amalgamation of the trend and time they were part of. When you hear them and try to identify them you mostly are left with “oh I dunno but it’s one of those bands”. Alternatively, there are the bands that define those eras of sound; when you hear the first category of band, another way you might describe them is “they sound like [X] but not them”. MGMT and specifically ‘Oracular Spectacular’ is the latter kind of band and release that defined this late 2000s-early 2010s indie electro-synth-pop—however you want to call it. I challenge you to find a millennial of a certain age and persuasion that doesn’t have strong and immediate reactions to at least three songs from this album. Most likely those would be “Time To Pretend”, “Kids” and “Electric Feel” which were absolutely everywhere circa 2008-…2015?ish?. But real ball knowers will also recognize “Weekend Wars”, “The Youth” and “The Handshake” at least. Listening to this album just triggers a huge sensory collage of a ton of vivid memories from its time period. I am biased but I can’t give this less than 4 ⭐️.

I was looking forward to this album based on the songs I know. I found the album as a whole to be lacking in depth and musicality.

The three main songs definitely stick out as the best on the album, but the rest perfectly fill the album. It's very versatile. My favorite has to be Time to Pretend. MGMT is a band I plan on listening to more. This is an amazing debut.

Музыка временами неплохая, но в целом это ни о чём

kinda deluding, but the second part was lowk fire

Neoclassic it seems

make me feel like a kid again

it's 3.75

Kids is a 5 star banger. Rest of album - including the other singles is not as good as I remembered. Feels a bit soulless and formulaic.

Time To Pretend, Electric Feel and Kids still stand up, with Time to Pretend and Kids in particular being excellent songs that put me right back in the late 00s. I don’t think I’ve listened to this since around then, and I don’t think I listened to it a great deal then either, and it definitely feels like one of those albums that hit a moment and then fade from consciousness quite quickly. But listening now, even though not everything works, or matches the quality of those songs, it’s a very enjoyable album, not least for their cherry picking of influences and the slightly wonky charm of them performing the whole album themselves. Weekend Wars has a nice finger picky-ness before moving into a bit of Prince and a bit of Beck and into a spacey rock conclusion. It’s a real highlight outside those well known songs. I really wasn’t keen on The Youth on the first couple of listens, but it really grew on me, the strings and slightly sad feel to its evocation of young idealism. The bass on Electric Feel is superb, that three note riff in particular, and the overall loping disco-Prince feel is great. I never noticed that the keyboard riff of Kids has echoes of Believe by Cher to it, which is not a bad thing. 4th Dimensional Transition has a bit of Neu!’s Hallogallo to the guitar, even if the rest of it is quite proggy, and there is a great Ghost Town-esque organ line in there too. They then dip into a bit of acoustic, grunge alt rock on Pieces of What, before their synthy predilections re-surface, and it's a nice stylistic diversion. Of Moons, Birds & Monsters has a nice late 60s feel to it. The Handshake and Future Reflections are enjoyable too, even if they don’t quite capture the imagination of the previous tracks. It’s got a bit of Beck, a bit of Prince, a bit of Bowie as well as synth pop, folk, disco, prog, space rock and psychedelia influences, and that eclecticism serves its scattershot, silvery, neon charm really well. 4. ⚡⚡⚡⚡ Playlist submission: Time to Pretend

This contains many moments of pop perfection, not least the three big singles - bright synth-pop, great hooks, bittersweet lyrics. 'Time to Pretend' is an excellent take on the clichés of rock; starting off fantasising about that life, and then missing his Mum mid-fantasy, before accepting he will one day choke on his own vomit - all while set to a synth-perfect melody. Maybe it can feel a little trite at times, '4th Dimensional Transition' focusing more on the psychedelic elements than the melody for example, but overall it has enough tunes and personality to clamber to a four.

Mostly a good album. Has the bangers and some filler in between.

No es muy mi estilo

mjäh

The hits are so good and still hold up well the rest of the album is also good but not 5 star good

The well known hits hold up very well, I was surprised by how good the deep tracks are.

The sounds of young summer in simpler times with energy and joy. It feels vibrant and energetic, bringing a breath of fresh air to the list.

I had never listened to an MGMT album, but knew the most popular songs from the radio. I love Electric Feel and Kids. I find Kids to be one of the most joyful and uplifting songs around. But the rest of the album is significantly less good than these songs. Kids and Electric Feel are 5/5 and the rest of the songs are either 2 or 3. So I am waffling between 3 and 4. But damn, Kids is SO good. F*ck it - I am going with 4.

전체적으로 좋음 트랙 2번인 'Weekend War'는 내가 좋아하는 'Verbatim'과 되게 비슷하다. 후자가 전자에서 영향 받았을지도...

New rave, neo-psychedelia, indietronica, electronic rock, psychedelic pop, psychedelic rock, synth-pop.

I remember the first time I heard electric feel. I was blown away. I thought it was amazing I went out and bought the album. I’m not sure if I really listened to it because all the hits were being played on the radio. So today I listened and it was kind of okay. The singles are still good even if I heard them a few hundred times. The rest is decent.

Sometimes I am amazed by how people are able to make electronic music so well. On top of that it felt like rock music with an electronic flare. I would listen to it while going for a run for sure.

3.5

The most 2007 album of all time. In a good way.

So fire. Such an ironic album

Just a classic. Makes me feel very nostalgic for a time that I was just a bit too young for.

a little painful to listen to electric feel and kids in 2026 but they were so important for me developing my music taste as a child. sooooo nostalgic

Some absolute bangers in here

Unique production sound but nothing that moving in any direction. Has a few high peaks and no deep valleys so we celebrate this. Highlights: "Time to Pretend, "Kids", "4th Dimensional Transition", "Future Reflections"

A pop album, but if you're a pop fan, a great album. I am not a pop fan.

This album was pretty cool. Lot of cool electronic beats and instrumentals. Wasn’t my favorite but also wasn’t bad.

Seemingly the poster band for this sound during the timeframe. First half is great but then it tapers off.

I heard Kids all the time back in the day, who could escape it, but I feel I heard it afresh and it was pretty darn good. I can’t remember the rest, so I think this is a case where I take the single and move on.

It’s crazy how much airtime some of these songs still get. A lot that I’ve heard before but didn’t realize was MGMT. Kids the the obvious standout - good song, if overexposed. Some stuff was weird and felt too long.

I was surprised that I knew several of these songs, although I could not have named the artist. This was pretty good indie rock. I might listen agsin.

Two absolute smashes and a bunch of other songs that were fine but not nearly as good as “electric feel” or “kids”. Nice to have a few nostalgic albums for the young millennials on here. I do hear some Beatles influence which is always nice!

Only liked the singles.

One of those albums that is so embedded in my bloodstream there's no way for me to review it fairly. Remember being 18? Yeah... that's basically it. Must-listen #345

Great MGMT album

Loved this! Joyful! Great rhythms! Had it on very loud several times. Love the voice too.

A timeless touchstone. enduring! if we were to communicate with other forms of intelligence about the human species… this record would certainly make the cut!

There's some interesting sounds happening here, but overall it didn't grab me, or really entertain me at all. It feels like it's almost good, it's on the brink of it so left me frustrated when it didn't actually deliver anything no matter how long I waited.

Not exactly my kind of music. That being said, I still very much enjoyed it. It sounds like the 2010's despite being created only a year after I was born. A sound ahead of its time that I somehow found nostalgic.

The singles are OK but the rest is nothing special. The album tails of badly near the end. Not one I will ever listen to again.

Belle surprise

I went into this album knowing a lot of songs already. Definitely a lot a heart put into it and they were just doing what they wanted, not trying to do what other people were doing or trying to fill a void in the alt scene at the time.

Some singles and some fillers.

It's good

Good album. Reminiscent of ‘that’ era, when you’ve finished high school, driving alone in your car on a hot summers day or making your way to a festival where everyone is still making their own costumes. The precious time of pure young adulthood, before the social-media societal decay stopped people from having fun in public. (Summer for the southern hemisphere homies anyway)

Well done, but not my jam

Ok

Some pretty intense nostalgia and a healthy dose of cultural and personal cringe for the time. Still, why was that so good? The hits are still all there and I got plenty out of some of the lesser light tracks. RYM: N Saved a song: N

Enjoyable but probably wont revisit it.

Es como indie- electrónica Hay canciones populares que se hicieron virales por tiktok , ritmo tranquilo, fresón en mi opinión

Oracular Spectacular exists on a plane that no longer exists. It's 2007. The worst thing going for us is the war in Iraq. Ahead of us: a financial crisis we will never fully recover from, followed by creeping and then overt fascism replacing our politics. I can hear the hope in their voices, and feel the shadows of my own, now shattered dreams.

i wanted to like it more than i did because i've always been interested in this band but it didn't quite hit for me. performance felt just a bit whiny in parts.. but i did like it more than albums from the 50s-80s i've listened to on here. i didn't want to submit to this notion but yeah music does change throughout the ages and i'm just a zoomer chud loser so of course i like the 90s-2010s more fave track: electric feel

Really like the album - Time to Pretend and Kids are absolute classics - torn between 4 and 5, but the album tracks are better than I recalled so gone 5

I never think of MGMT when I think of good bands, but this is a really good album

ну кайф кайф. ток перезаписи треков "time to pretend" и "kids" для этого альбома мне не оч понравились. на ипишке 2005 года звук как-то роднее будет, аутентичнее, микс более сырой, а вокал мягче, приятнее.

Very good album. Likes the sound

Álbum jovem, moderno. Também tem uma mistura de sons entre culturas, e cria algo único. Foi bom de ouvir, mas nada se destacou. Não ouviria novamente, mas não odiei. Mesmo as duas músicas serem muito famosas, não foi o suficiente pra gerar um 4.

Começa bem bacana, já dá pra sentir a vibe do álbum logo na primeira música, que é bem boa por sinal. Aí tem umas aqui e alí meio mornas, mas principalmente o meio do álbum é excelente, adicionei umas 4 músicas. Electric Feel e Kids são excelentes. E mesmo as mais mornas nenhuma é ruim, são todas bem gostosinhas de ouvir. Não me deu aquela agonia de acabar o álbum logo, eu tava curtindo do início ao fim, bem sossegado. Teve até uma hora que eu tive que sair ao ar livre enquanto ouvia e deu até um feels, o solzinho se pondo, músiquinha vibes tocando. Me surpreendeu positivamente, queria dar 3,5, mas como não dá, acho que ele merece mais um 4 do que um 3.

Almost 10 years on, this album holds up remarkably well. The hooks are absolutely gigantic and the record, with it's Dave-Fridmann-at-a-rave aesthetic (I wrote that descriptor before I knew DF actually produced the record, lol), sounds phenomenal. Even after every advertisement under the sun has licensed the singles, they still sound fresh and energetic. And somehow, whatever passes for singing never sounds annoying- just part of the overall sound. By all accounts the band has disowned this album, but the enduring power of their extremely tight songwriting is something they should be proud of and work back to if they can.

que seria de las peliculas de adolescentes o de tiktok en la pandemia sin este album? Dicho eso la segunda mitad esta FLOJISIMA 6.5/10

The singles from this album were huge, top 10 songs of my high school era. You couldn’t escape them. I really liked these songs back then but never did the whole album. I always got the feeling these guys lucked into fame because of some of the bad singing and questionable tones and mixing on this album, but it’s clear everything was purposeful. While the singles are impressive, the album as a whole didn’t stay as consistent as those singles.

Strong nostalgia with this one, and I remember vividly this coming out and the singles were played everywhere. Nevertheless it’s aged well, and those singles are still strong now. Best track is Kids.

A nice way to end what was a fairly lackluster week for the generator. You could not escape this group and these singles when this album came out. I don't think I appreciated the hits when they came out, but hearing them with all these years removed they are certified bangers. The rest of the songs, while not at the same level as the singles, were still great and show that this group is more than just the hits. Not a bad album to get on a Friday. 4/5

2nd attempt. Website is jank. Idk chronology but the songs i havent heard at kohls sound like portugal the man. The last two songs sound Phishy. 3 stars only bc idk if I'd buy it.

It's honestly a 7 out of 10 album. But with the amount of generic indie it inspired, this album had done more damage than good deeds

I really like this album. The beats and lyrics are soft and welcoming, and such a great background groove. I need to expand my knowledge of them.

Theres throws of these albums. In that they're not bad, the tunes are catchy, and I could easily put on in the background. What they don't evoke in me is passion to sing along and defend the artist like they're my secret friend who I know anything about at all.

This album feels like the cover vibrant, the music feels like a loose confidence but clear and bold with a dreamy trippy haze with lots of colours Its cinematic and triumphant in parts Time to pretend is anthem like Weekend wards brings you back to earth and makes you think The youth is a somber trip of change Then electric feel pulls you in to dance in a moonlight haze For me this album is a strong 8 Good to listen to on a high And electric feel remains one of my all time favourite tunes.

Not bad, nothing I really loved either, had one or two songs that I added to my playlist, of Moons, Birds, and Monsters was my favorite.

It's kind of amazing how much of MGMT's style immediately shows up on their debut album, when they were my age. That being said, they are SO young on this record, and you can hear it. This album perfectly captures that weird college feeling of having strong beliefs and opinions but struggling to actually convey them except for a few hyper-specific points. It's more a general disillusionment with the world around you without specific solutions in mind. Some songs do target specific issues, like Kids and Time to Pretend, but I was really blown away by songs that had none. Songs that make wild analogies that aren't really connected or about anything, but connected entirely by vibes. They don't quite live up to Neutral Milk Hotel in that way, but I found this album at a point in my life where it perfectly fucking speaks to everything I'm thinking. Loved it.

This is a really important album for people my age. I think every person I group with knows at least some (if not all) of the signs in this record. Obviously, the big songs on this record are the ones that everyone knows (Electric Feel, Kids, Time to Pretend) but those have always been the weakest on the record for me. I do love Time to Pretend, because of the lyrical commentary and then how that actually kind of panned out for the band. Time to Pretend into Weekend Wars and The Youth is so perfect. I love how it goes from this indie pop song into kind of Pink Floyd inspired psych rock bender. It’s weird, but grounded. It keeps you engaged and committed. Pieces of What has always been my favorite. I love the longing of this one. And then how it turns into an epic midway through. The Handshake into Future Reflections I love this record. It’s one that I revisit a few times per year. I love the weirdest, the boldness, the self reflection, the innocence, the fact that a lot of it doesn’t work. It’s a beautiful mess.

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.

No esperaba conocer varias canciones del álbum, y al menos ahora sé de dónde salieron. No es el tipo de música que yo escuche, pero me gustó la experiencia de hacerlo. Ignorando Time to Pretend, Electric Feel y Kids, el resto del canciones mucho no siento que sumen al total que sería el álbum. ↑: Weekend Wars; Electric Feel; Kids; Of Moons, Birds & Monsters ↓: Pieces of What

Another classic for me.

For some reason I thought this album wasn't on the list and I was outraged. I'm not sure why I was under that impression - maybe a typo when searching for it or something - but I was feeling confident that when I eventually finish this listening project and submit my own user album, this would be it. I'm not even a huge MGMT fan or anything, but the album is so good that it seems insane that it isn't on the- what's that? It *is* on the list? Oh. Well... good. So it should be. That's essentially how it went down for me. This album lives up to its name. It's a deeply insightful work that puts on a real show, blending rich shoegazey soundscapes with big glam pop hooks and a few proggy progressions and interesting time signatures to boot! I find this music so easy to vibe hard to and get lost in all at once, and it's insane that something this good is a debut album, never mind that it came from what essentially amounts to a couple of multi-instrumentalist college kids (allegedly) doing a bit and accidentally stumbling out of satire and into mainstream success. Oracular? Probably... Specatcular? Unquestionably.

A classic album, been on my list for a while now, possibly the only MGMT I actually enjoy too? Weekend Wars, Electric Feel, Kids, Time to Pretend are probably my standouts; really love this album.

Блин, ну не знаю. Ну не нравится мне вот эта вот millenial coded музычка а-ля инди-рок из нулевых (ваще буэ) или вот эти синти-попы современные. Да, звучит стилёво, да, некоторые треки ничо такие. "Of Moons, Birds & Monsters" или главный бенгер "Kids" звучат круто и всё такое.. но это прост не мое.

There's only 1-2 songs on here keeping this from being a 5 for me. The sense of nostalgia is strong with this one.

It's hard not to feel a ~little~ nostalgic listening to some of this. I know they've yet to come close to reaching similar heights, but MGMT is alright in my books.

got me feeling like barack obama never left office :)

Not a bad album, but not my thing. The front half is electronic and poppy, the back half a little weirder and more interesting, ditching all the electronica and just using normal instruments. If they hadn't done the switch, it would have been boring. My Rating: 3/5

i don't this this holds up quuuuuuuite well enough to be a 5, but man, those really were the days

Minecraft movie

It was pretty good and some nice sentimental lyrics

Favourite song Time to Pretend. Not the best album TBH

suuuuuuuuuuper swaggy

very nice

These guys mix genres very well, i appreciate that. Some of these tracks are peak summer music. Fav song: “Kids”

2.5 stars Hipster anecdote. I saw Of Montreal on 2007 and MGMT opened for them. I didn’t know MGMT and recall sending a text (using T9) saying “bored watching the opener. They’re called mgmt.” A year later they were huge. I didn’t put together that the band who performed the song blasting on the radio constantly (“Kids”) was the same band that I was bored watching a year before. Anyway, not sure if I ever listened to this whole album. I think I tried to but got bored at the non singles. Similar experience this time around. Their 3 singles are superstar level, but their filler tracks range from generic 00s indie to Animal Collective wannabes (which is just a very specific type of generic 00s indie). It’s not terrible but it’s not enthralling. But the singles (“Time to Pretend”, “Electric Feel”, and the mentioned “Kids”) are all really good and give this short album enough credit to be a pass, but not a must listen necessarily.

The singles are SO iconic and of that specific time period. But the rest of the album is a little bit of a snooze.

Just really don't feel it. I was looking forward to another listen.

A unique sounding album, my partner loves this which makes me enjoy it even more, some great songs it has a kind of futuristic melancholy feel

This record is all time nostalgia. I’m not generally huge fan of electronic music, but this record is quite pleasant and has a few bangers throw in. Amazing how many of these songs I already know, and have actually stood the test of time. I can’t believe Kids was barely a top 100 single at release. Overall, this was a very nice blast from the past, that actually had some teeth in the deep cuts. Could be nostalgia, but I’m giving this one a 4.

Not bad although I prefer 11-11-11.

So so good

I always feel nostalgic towards indie sleaze. Such a freaking cool album

I honestly think the deeper cuts off of this are nearly as good as the singles, but because people haven't heard them as much, they think the rest of the album falls flat. That being said, Kids is still the best track off this record by a long shot

Starts super strong with danceable beats and catchy hooks. Solid party/vibe album. All of these songs still hold up, despite being almost 20 years old. The last half of the album is unknown, but still solid. Has a bit more of a mellower vibe at times, which is good. I give it four out of five. A weak 4, but still af 4.

Nice music, original, but not a master piece.

It's alright. Not that spectacular

⭐⭐⭐⭐- Indie rock/pop med elektroniska inslag. Ett varierat album. Produktionen är intressant med oväntade pålägg, skiftande tempo och influenser. Något i Weekend wars ger mig lite David Bowie vibbar, även lite på The handshake, vet inte riktigt vad det är. Det finns en handfull hits på det här albumet plus några andra låtar som sticker ut som bättre. Några spår är lite svagare men inga som jag tycker är direkt dåliga. Ett gediget album, dock något framtungt, som jag nog kommer söka mig till igen, åtminstone lyssna på utvalda spår. Så det blir en svag 4a.

Pretty good. MGMT is a band I heard of before but this was my first time listening to them.

A little bit of nostalgia is driving this review (great throwback to middle school), but man I forgot just how fun this album is. A nice blend of synth, psychedelic, and alternative elements with the runtime being the perfect length before this loses it's luster.

A really enjoyable album with lush production and a knack for surprising you with the interesting directions the music takes. Even the tracks I didn't really enjoy for most of the song managed to win me over by the end with what they managed to build up to (thinking of Weekend Wars and Pieces of What in particular here). These guys have a real skill for creating soundscapes in their music that draw you in to their world. There are catchy tracks like the big hit singles, but also dreamlike, hypnotic tracks like The Youth, as well as almost frantic tracks like 4th Dimensional Transition. They managed to shift between these styles effectively while maintaining a cohesive sound and feel. I also really enjoyed the sort of synth pop take on a prog record on Of Moons, Birds & monsters. That song was a standout for me. If I had to level any criticisms at the album, I'd say I didn't particularly care for the lyrics. It feels like they were trying too hard to be cryptic and provocative but they only very rarely manage to say anything evocative. They've gotten a lot better in this aspect on their more recent albums in my opinion. My other criticism would be that the album has some really dull verses at times, even though as I mentioned before, they do salvage things with what the songs build towards by the end. Still, the time spent leading up to those moments can feel pretty repetitive. Favourite tracks: Of Moons, Birds & Monsters, Kids, 4th Dimensional Transition

couldnt get through one song

This was a great album with lots of bangers

No es de mi agrado, aburrido, solo conozco 2 canciones Time to Pretend y Kids, después aburrido...

I caught myself listening to MGMT's debut album in its entirety for the first time. The impressions are mixed. A triptych of "Time to Pretend," "Electric Feel," and "Kids" — an absolutely bulletproof, neon-dance-infused collection of singles that any young band would envy. The problem is, these are the main strongest points of album. It's immediately obvious that the band is more drawn to 60s psychedelic rock, and MGMT aren't quite there: the result is either a strange, rhythmically tom-pounding primalism or downright boring acoustic hippie fare. The label also knew these songs weren't worth promoting the album with, and they didn't reach the masses. Instead, the band dug in their heels and made their next two albums in a similar style. The result is predictable. But the singles are fantastic! How could I give anything less than a four stars?

Cool, good indie sleaze

I used to listen to them all the time when it first came out

crazy debut but i only really liked the ones that were the most popular lol. however made me very impatient for summer to start soon

I'm not a fan of the vocals... Favorite songs: Electric Feel

Pretty familiar with this album already and torn a bit. First give songs are fantastic and I could listen to them on repeat non-stop. Everything after is just meh to me.

Super epic sauce

4/5

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.

På den ene sida, joda. På den andre sida, eh. Æ likte den der sangen alle har hørt, og det va ingenting fornærmanes på gang, men det va ikke min greie.

One good song and the rest was meh.

What an absolutely bonkers debut album. Released 20 years ago this is wildlyy ahead of its time. I feel like this electro-pop style resurged the indie scene and elegantly crossed over into the mainstream. Time to Pretend and Kids may be overplayed and beginning to feel lacklustre and commercialized to death but trying to listen to them with a fresh perspective I totally get why they were huge songs. The rest of the album is actually even more interesting and feels like it had a massive impact on the new music scene over the last 20 years.

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.

immediately recognize first track - it was everywhere. had no idea duo band were from connecticut or this was their debut. out 2007, same year as neon bible and ga ga. recognize "the youth" - it's spacey, reminiscent of arcade fire chorus. "electric feel" i recognize. 70s disco groove, princey. spacey, trippy/psychedelic, chorus forward, bright, synthy. lots of layers and sound for just two musicians. "hipster supermarket music." this globalization of fashion on the cover looks tone deaf in 2026.

Some absolute bangers, generational defining songs. Among complete sleepers.

Disfruté mucho de este pop psicodélico, lento, hermosos solos y melodías flasheras.

(92/100)

Not especially memorable, but still decent.

i really wish i could leave half star reviews, because in my heart this is a 3.5: some classic hits, some fun stuff, some calm songs. mgmt is cool but this album left me wanting more. idk

Fun, I enjoyed listening to this whole album. However I really only connected with the ones I already knew. Might need revisiting

Classic indie rock

I feel like the three most popular songs on this album were the highlights and the rest of the album didn't really capture the same energy as them. I am a bit disappointed - I found the rest of the album okay, but nothing spectacular.

I doubt if I'll ever come back to it, but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Decidedly okay album

stabil, das genre ist nicht mein favorite aber dafür cool

gut (muss vllt nochmal hören, weil ich geschlafen hab tbh, aber sehr gut)

Some great songs and some real duds.

The kids seem to like it

I guess I really like MGMT. Didn't know that.

First track, i thought these are one.hit wonders, then it turned out there was more i recognised. It was a pretty enjoyable listen, 3.5*

Do I give this a five? Eh why not

banger