Reviews (page 4 of 15)
I've listened to this album extensively and love it beginning to end. Obviously electric feel and kids are standouts.
Loved this album - really groovy and plenty of great hits. "Time to Pretend", "Electric Feel", "Kids" are all great. 8/10.
Great album. One of my favorites
4.5
J’aime beaucoup cet album. La fiin des années 2000 est importante selon moi. Elle marque un certain bouillonnement et un rajeunissement du rock. Cet album en est un bon exemple. Il a influencé bon nombre d’autres artistes comme Galaxie par exemple.
I have spent sooo much time with this album
Yeah, rocking eletronic power pop. Great album, faves Time to Pretend, The Youth, Kids.
phenomenal. great listen when you want to feel relaxed and cool.
I haven’t listened to this whole album before but have heard about it. It did not disappoint. Great album for such a weird and out there sound.
On paper, I shouldn't like MGMT. It's electronic indie-pop. But MGMT manage to avoid all of the pitfalls of their peers by creating compelling rhythms and melodies accompanied by fun and surprisingly coherent lyrics. This whole album was just a jam. Each successive track built a mood that I found compelling. By the end, I was involuntarily tapping my feet and bobbing my head. It's a great album.
Still a great album. Time to Pretend and Electric Feel are my favourite tracks.
This album is perfect. Absolutely one of the best albums of the 00s.
Mama mia
Time to Pretend, Electric Feel i Kids przesuper, generalnie bardzo spoko album, chyba jedyny utwor ktory srednio mi sie podobal to of moons, birds & monsters.
I love this so much!
already have it!
This album has some of my favourite singles of all time and the album tracks are way better than they're usually given credit for.
Of Moons, Birds & Monsters and Time to Pretend are the best songs of all time. The production is intricate and I'm so proud of the accomplishments being that this album was made 2006-2008.
Weird. Messy. And most importantly, mind-blowing. These experiences are why I signed up for this project. This is a unique, unusual, and beautiful discovery for me. It's not easy to describe its sound, but I think the cover art tells a lot about it. Two seemingly hipster men on a beach, which is painted in a vibrant scheme of blue and purple. That perfectly sums up the album. It's hipster-ish, as some less enthusiastic people put it, yet it's oddly moving. It was like walking along a surreal beach built by those synth (?) riffs. It was like musical psychedelic trip, with a nice uplifting build-up. What happened to this type of music when artists like LANY and The Chainsmokers brought it to the mainstream in early 2010's? Whatever, I'm still glad that I discovered this gem. It might not be one of the best pop albums of the recent times, but it sure is the most mood elevating album that I have ever heard so far.
College nostalgia dictates that I give this 5 stars. But really there are some great songs on here. Electric Feel has been in my brain for 15 years
Never listened to this whole thing, find it very engaging
Yes and also yes
Awesome album! Much more depth than I was expecting.
Groovy
Great album! Love me some MGMT!
Awesome album. They have such a cool sound, unique music!
A familiar start that took me back to being a teenager, still a fantastic album after all these years.
Com si d’un disc de vinil es tractés (l’obra es va publicar abans de l’arribada de la segona época dorada del vinil), el cd es composa de dos parts molt diferenciades. Les primeres cinc cançons són composicions pop perfectes, banda sonora ideal de la segona meitat dels 00’s, fresca i original, que ens transporta a tots els que la vam viure als millors moments d’aquells anys. La segona part és més densa, fosca i complexa, pista de per on anirien les coses en els següents dos discos del duet, abans que recuperessin la inspiració pop a ‘Little Dark Age’. No desmereix, però, i tot i estar lluny de l’efectisme meritori de la primera meitat, és la que aporta gran part de la vigència a llarg termini del disc
I am super impressed. I remember the hits from high school, but the album as a whole is great work in this genre. Great melodies, catchy synth parts, varying rhythms. Great work! An example for Indie!
Nostalgic stuff right here
This is a fantastic album. When I saw it I wondered whether my love of it was just nostalgia for the time but it is genuinely a great album. I remember when it came out it felt so cool and different to a lot of other stuff and the whole aesthetic of it felt so fresh.
Great record
One of my favorite albums of all time, every track is a hit. Still holds up. First time listening in probably 10 years.
Love this album. Such a nostalgic listen, easy to see how influential this was on indie/alt music
A ver, si es que tiene todos los temazos... (Voviendo a escribir en esta weá)
Love this album so much I didn't even bother listening again.
Own it, love it.
Like a crap calculator user, this album presses a lot of buttons with unexpected results. Some masterpieces on here. Tossing up between 4 & 5, can’t punish it due to a lack of 4.5 option. 5 it is!
The nostalgia is strong with this one
There is no question that Time to Pretend, Electric Feel and Kids are incredibly well written and perfectly executed pop masterpieces that embody the neon soaked electro stylings of the pre '10s Myspace era, but I couldn't help feeling a twinge of cringe when I heard Kids as a direct result of hearing it over and over and over for the past 15 years. When consideration is given to the entire album you realise that MGMT are a highly complex organism that are able to shift from bright accessible electronica into the realm of deep, dark psychedelia with very little warning. Everything from Fourth Dimensional Transition onwards (literal nod to the album's change of pace?) makes it seem as if as if Side 1 and Side 2 were written for completely different audiences. The Handshake is easily my highlight, would love to listen to it in a float tank. This album is clear proof that a band can be far more than their often flogged singles. Maybe the cringe was a result of my own ventures into hair straighteners and side fringes. In any case that time, space and place will live on forever in this album.
excelent!
Super fun album, perfect for many many movie soundtracks and why wouldn’t it be. It somehow sounds nostalgic for not a specific time in history but for a time in everyone’s lives which I just think is neat
Beautiful, complex, and apparently a band I've heard a lot of before despite not recognizing the name.
Byl nieznany pick, to musiala lista zbalansowac czyms co kojarzy chyba kazdy, bo oracular spectacular, to pierwszy album wydany przez powazna wytwornie, w tym wypadku columbia records, zawiera jedne z najbardziej popowych i chwytliwych trakow jakie slyszalem, wiec nie jest dziwne, ze gdy puscilem ten album w samochodzie, to nawet osoby amuzyczne od razu kojarzyly kawalek po pierwszych nutkach, reklama dupla sprzed 10 lat zrobila robote, no i samplowatosc tego materialu, bo sporo murzynow pozyczalo ich beaty, jak nipsey i call from the bank, sporo tez colabowali, moim ulubionym colabem w tym wypadku bedzie spotkanie z kid cudim i ratatatem na pursuit of happiness z czlowieka na ksiezycu 2k09, ale nie jest to w zadnym razie poczatek muzyzkowania dla duetu andrewa vanwyngardena i bena goldwassera, bo chlopaki ktore spotkaly sie na uniwerku i juz graja od 2k02, wiec troche im zajelo sprzedanie sie, przed oracularem spectacularem wydali jeden epek, z ktorego pochodza dwa najwieksze hity oraculara, kids i time to pretend, ktory jest takze tytulem epka i tak samo jak na tej plycie otwiera material, ale jak otwiera, przejscie z time to pretend do oraculara, to zpopowanie swojego brzmienia z nastawieniem na jak najwiekszy sukces komercyjny, cel jak widac zostal osiagniety i plyta jest na liscie, ten album pokazuje, ze nawet psychodeliczne liryki da sie sprzedac, jesli odpowiednio popracuje sie nad brzmieniem, bo to wlasnie ten aspekt najbardziej odroznia pierwszy epek i plyte, jeszcze mocniej synthami, wokale zmodulowane efektami do granic mozliwosci tak aby blendowaly sie z melodia, nie zostalo to za duzo z surowosci wokalowych epki, a to wszystko zeby sie sprzedac, gdybym nie znal calej dyskografii MGMT, to zalozylbym, ze nastepne numery pojada przetartym szlakiem i beda nastawione na jak najwieksze slupki, a sprawa wyglada calkiem inaczej, bo zarowno congratulations jak i eponimowy album sa powrotem do bardziej rokowego brzmienia z mniejszym wykorzystaniem synthow i opartymi na czystych dzwiekach instrumentalnych, bo zapomnialbym wspomniec, ze obaj czlonkowie duetu, to multi instrumentalisci, wiec jesli chodzi o wykorzystane dzwieki calosc byla tworzona przez duet, az dziwne ze album z jednymi z najbardziej popowych trakow w historii jest jednoczesnie jednym z moim ulubionych, stoi za tym kompozycja plyty, pierwsza czesc krazka jest wypakowana do granic mozliwosci hitowymi trakami, to jest 5 kawalkow, od szostego, nazwanego 4th dimensial transition album calkowicie zmienia swoje obliczne i pokazuje, ze MGMT to jednak indyjski rock, a nie sam pop, to tak jakby wydac dwa epki na jednej plycie i ta strona ktora ma sprzedac plyte jest stworzona z zrecyklingowanego materialu juz wczesniej wykorzystanego na time to pretend, natomiast od drugiej strony bije orginalnosc brzmienia, bardziej konserwatywne podejscie do chanelow, jak pieces of what, ktory daje mocno monowe viby, zwlaszcza w koncowce, gdzie na prawym kanale dostajemy wokal, natomiast basy i drumy na lewym, cos niezbyt popowego, ale kto dojdzie do tego momentu, jak na spotifaju, pierwsza strona oscyluje pomiedzy 300-500 milionow odtworzen, a druga strona pomiedzy 9-15 miliona, dopiero takie porownanie dobrze ukazuje to o czym pisalem, dlatego wlasnie jest to jeden z moich ulubionych albumow, ktore ciezko przypisac do konkretnego gatunku, bo tworcy pokazuja, ze potrafia grac cokolwiek w zaleznosci od tego czy chca sprzedac material lub tez grac co im lezy, na plejce juz mam cala pierwsza strone, wiec teraz wypadaloby dodac takze cos z drugiej, a wybor padl na piecies of what i zamykajacy material reflections, a cala plyta leci do spoti biblioteczki gdzie jej miejsce
YOOOOOOO I already know the first song and love it. This is gonna be a good album. I know song #4 too?! Love it. #5 is the same album, too?! Bet. Love this music, automatic 5 for me. Don't even have to finish the album to know that.
Loved it
awesome album. can't seem to get enough, gives me slight disco vibes, really enjoyed it.
Un disco bien hilado, muy bien hecho, como una mezcla de rock viejito y un sonido más dosmiles, y el hilo conductor es una especie de nostalgia muy relatable.
So viele coole Songs, die sowohl als Album, als auch Solo funktionieren. Die synthi-rock Kombi, der teilweise 80er Hall. Nice!
Ohne es erneut zu hören, weiß ich, dass ich das Album liebe.
Dank Moritz herausragender Urlaubs-Playlisten kenne ich ziemlich viele der Songs aber ich wusste nicht, dass die sich alle auf einem großartigen Album befinden. Hit!
ME ENCANTAN
Unbelievable classic
No questions one of my fav adolescence album
12 years on and still quality
Great 2000's album, reminds me a lot of my teenage years. So danceable, fun grooves now I remember why they were the big deal back in the day.
AUTOMATICAMENTE 5 ESTRELAS Mesmo que só gostasse das que já conhecia, só pela nostalgia, já daria 5 estrelas, mas não foi o caso
Brilliant
Fuckin solid obviously
Was hard to pick a favorite!
One of my favorite bands. Congratulations is better, but this is a solid debut
epic😍😍😍😍
I'm not sure what my pandemic life has become, but randomly being given a great album I'm very familiar with - is a total bright spot in my day. The first two songs are a fucking knock-out. Both of these songs are a wonder on their own, and give you these little pockets of joy and exquisite noise. It's like how I describe marrying my wife, all of life became so much more and I was transformed into a new and better person. It's like that with MGMT, i can't imagine a world existing without discovering this band and this album. Like the music and melodies always existed and organically came to the surface to make me smile. I enjoy this very much, along with their follow up album. Nothing more to say, essential and five stars.
classic MGMT. reminds me of nostalgic college days. energetic and bright.
Phenomenal light-pop synth album. I think they’re considered ground-breaking but it doesn’t matter I enjoyed it.
Good
This is my jam. Will always love MGMT
One of my all-time favourites!
great synth sounds
His best album
One of the best albums of our time. I always come back to it.
Excellent
Great album
2007: Time To Pretend, Kids, The Youth
lets gooo
8.2/10. Classic indie rock album that brings tons of nostalgia to the 2000’s / early 2010’s for me. It’s clearly experimental and has some strange elements but I personally enjoyed that part and discovered some songs in this album I haven’t heard before.
Sounds like the early 2000s. An integral album during this era with lots of classic hits I remember hearing on the radio and otherwise. A few songs that haven't aged too well are also on this album but still a great, iconic record.
Yeeeeessss. I just made a list of my favorite albums since 1990 and this was way up there at number 18. I mentioned thinking Missy Elliot sounded like “the future” at some point - well MGMT and this album in particular is something else I give that label to (along with Parliament, OutKast, 100 gecs and more if were wondering). Excited to see how this one holds up. My starting point is this very likely will be an “essential” album in my rankings and 5 stars. Is it? The top 3 songs in this album - Time to Pretend, Electric Feel, and Kids are just incredible. I’m honestly gaining a new appreciation for Time to Pretend on this go around especially these lines “ Yeah, I'll miss the boredom And the freedom and the time spent alone But there is really nothing, nothing we can do Love must be forgotten, life can always start up anew” Especially juxtaposed with all the “let’s do drugs and models, fuck it life is short” lyrics. Electric Feel though - man this might be one of my favorite songs of all time. The bass line and the simple lyrics. Love it. Plus the music video is so cool - I wanna live in that post-apocalyptic day glo hippy rave nature commune. Well not really but maybe a younger me. The rest of the album is also very good, obviously not to the level of those 3 but not skippable shite either. Accept maybe the last track I usually found myself not wanting to finish that one. In the end is it 5 stars? No. Probably 4.5 - but I still feel like it is an “essential” record. A defining record definitely of its era of indie rock becoming more mainstream - but also I thinking a defining album of the entire 21st century to this point.
this hit on sleep deprivation
Millennial joy
Another one from my wife's taste! First Justice and now this two days later. If I remember right it's a bit more rocky/poppy. -------------------------------------------- Wow. This is a lot more indie rock than I remember. There's a hefty psychedelic influence with nods to the Beatles, Bowie and Eno produced prog. The vocals are varied and interesting and the synth aspects are often contributing to catchy hooks or link dreamlike sequences. Speaking of those sequences - is this shoegaze too? Especially on tracks like "The Youth" which has a rhythmic culty feel. As the album progresses it dips into other genres from disco, funk and ambient. It turns out this debut is a kalidascope of sound that often comes together into pretty patterns. Those singles hide some incredible depth here - I definitely wrote them off as hipsters. Impressive. 4*
Some spectacular songs and some very forgettable songs. An acid trip in in the 21st century in an album
Nice! Parece a brisa ao pôr-do-sol num dia de praia em Agosto.
the most 2010s 2007 music ever. liking or not, nostalgia is what drives me to a lot of media i consume and this album has the type i can actually grasp, the one i actually lived and feel as myself, not from an era i wish i grew up in or see others cherish. stuff like this was my entrypoint to more alternative music and today leaves a very strong track of feel-good and serotonin sensation song after song. even with more overplayed songs like "kids" i still see the appeal and hype found in the melody (and the less known part of the song is so sick too!). i really dig this overall, it feels so nowadays-hipster (complementary) and special, giving sound to an entire era and what was the beggining of discovery of more fun, more e(c)lect(r)ic music for many!
brilliant album still a summer album
I bought 'Oracular Spectacular' when I was 22 and listened to it constantly. At the time, I also frequently went to the city's only indie disco, and it felt like MGMT was being played there non-stop too. Presumably, it was on everywhere else in my student bubble. The biggest hits (Kids, Time to Pretend, and Electric Feel) are a bit played out and don't really do it for me like they used to, but overall, the album is better and a lot more consistent than I remembered.
that girlllllllll i knew most of this album but never listened to it in order. handshake snuck up on me and i think would have been a great closer. think i wanna listen to this again thanks album generator
Time to Pretend Weekend Wars Electric Feel Of Moons, Birds & Monsters Future Reflections
Time to Pretend The Youth Electric Feel Kids Of Moons, Birds, and Monsters
Nice. Knew more of this than I realised.
podobalo mi sie, nie moge zdecydowac czy 4 czy 5 gwiazdek, pierwsza piosenka i Kids przywolują wspomnienia
Top 5 indie album, number 1 indie sleaze album. Everywhere in the late 2000s. 3 unique ear worm songs. 2 dudes who are truly uncomfortable pop stars. Read about what they wore to meet their record company etc.
I'd never heard of MGMT before this. And...I rather like this album. A good mix of material, some sound influences, all nicely assembled.
If musique de service de garde.
Classic indie. Perdu 1 étoile avec les 2-3 dernières tunes.
Le trowback étais super cool et j’avais oublier à quelle point il y avais des banger
Great album! Absolutely my jam. When I was a starving student and had a very limited budget for extras, this CD was a worthy investment. No skips, track after track of good tunes. I was a little surprised it was on this list though. Even at the time I didn't think it was particularly groundbreaking. Still, loved MGMT's first album.
A Friday vibe if there ever was one. I’m so happy to see this on this list, I think it’s well deserving. Talk about an album that will bring together three different generations when it plays at the function. The three singles on here are just the best. Youthful, euphoric jams that instantly bring the mood up. “We’re fated to pretend” is deep, much more philosophical than you might initially think, a powerful mantra for life. The album is a bit older than this, but these songs feel like they undercut my college years — so many great memories underneath electric feel. Aside from the three singles (which are heavy heavy hitters), I liked two others I didn’t know before, and the rest was just okay. Out of ten songs, three generational hits, two pretty good ones, and five just okay still makes for a really good album, even if three songs carry much of the load. Fun stuff, this will forever be high up on my great vibes list.
Like some
Son muy buenos, y este álbum vale la pena
Some good tunes on this one.
Immediately transported back to 2009.
Love this album, love the big hits on it. I can take or leave The Youth, Weekend Wars and Pieces of What. But also Little Dark Age effortlessly clears this album in every way that matters, if anyone wants a much weirder MGMT album…
With singles that hit so hard it doesn't matter was else is on offer. Gives off Bowie vibes without sounding like an impression. The Dave Fridmann production still sounds quite tasty. Hats off to a couple lads who either lost their way or found their truth after this outting depending on your perspective on their later catalog. But this round gives you a handful of mainstage bangers.
The feeling of nostalgia is high with this record - the hit tracks take me right back to secondary school and they still hold up to this day. The majority of this album is brilliant, full of indie bangers that are made to sing out loud. A couple of tracks on the latter half feel less impactful, but overall this is a fantastic album with great memorability and standouts.
7/10 First MGMT album! Very happy to report it was great.
the two hits on this are good songs and deserve their status, but there is even better stuff here. opener "time to pretend" is just magnificent and is followed by the beates-esque "weekend wars". just a really cool album beginning.
I remember seeing MGMT supporting Radiohead in (I think 2008), when they were relatively new, and being so impressed by these two weird shamanic guys. They probably had fairly high levels of cringe to be fair, but at that stage I was very onboard with it. The singles on this album are still really cool, and most songs are infused with a lovely wash of sound at the back of them, which adds quite a dreamlike quality. It's not - to my mind - an all time classic or anything, but it was great fun to hear and to relive.
In my era
The most 4 out of 5 album on here.
this album is so cool. feels nostalgic in a timeless way. it has some of MGMT's most iconic tracks and the lesser known songs are also very solid. i especially loved how i could pick out every synth part in "kids" and hear how all these parts came together to make a killer song. also i was shocked this album was made in 2007 it feels very 2018 to me (aka it was ahead of its time).
Super nostalgic for any 00s kid. Second half isn’t quite as good as the first but what do you expect when the first half is that amazing?
The whole album works so well
yaay
I have a love hate relationship with this album. I went straight away to the local record store the first time I heard 'Time to Pretend' and while I love half of this album the other half is eh. I feel the same way I do about David Bowie records, there are tremendous highs, some great segments in ok at best songs and a couple of real stinkers. My brain says this is a 3 star, uneven album but my heart says the singles drag this into 4 star territory.
I can't tell you that this is genius but I can tell you that it's an accurate emotional representation of Millennial coming of age. 'Time to Pretend' is pretty spot-on in terms of disillusionment and sanguine feelings. Its first verse goes, "I'm feeling rough, I'm feeling raw, I'm in the prime of my life / Let's make some music, make some money, find some models for wives / I'll move to Paris, shoot some heroin and fuck with the stars / You man, the island and the cocaine and the elegant cars". All the while, the song has a feeling of doom and hope. It's pop, overall, though of the spontaneous variety rather than the A&R audition posters and glitzy producers and songwriters variety. It's highly electronic and often somewhat psychedelic. It's thoughtful. And it remains emotional, even if it does occasionally reflect the anhedonic tendencies of my generation -- it's a pathology, not a badge of honour. Here, the conflict of wanting to feel hopeful and also fearing the doom of the world (the September 11th attacks on NYC were six years in the past when this released and the Global Financial Crisis was just about to kick off) stew together to produce what turned out to be the perfect music to drink and dance to late at night for a few years. 'Time to Pretend', 'Electric Feel' and 'Kids' remain the strongest work on the record, reflected in their choices as singles. 'Electric Feel' in particular has an extremely good groove. There's no question that these two had something to say about the psychological state of a generation of young adults but it's worth admitting that it is buried in synth melodies. You can't just buy a keyboard, hook up a fuzz bass and write a melody in an uncomfortable mode and get it automatically. On the other hand, this is a record you could grasp -- at its best -- by just listening to the three singles. Otherwise, it's fine and competent and all that. You should definitely hear those before you die but '4th Dimensional Transitional' is somewhat more optional (though: that's a cool one). 3.5/5
This is a pretty formative album for me. I drank the indie/hipster/Williamsburg Brooklyn kool-aid of the 2000s and 2010s. I don't think this is an album that will remain legible through the ages. I think it is really of it's time. I love this album and would relisten on my own absolutely. For me, the top three are "Weekend Wars", "The Youth" and "Kids". It is a fair criticism to say the back half doesn't hold up to the first half.
Pretty clean
Fantastic 8/10
Brings back my youth listening to this on my cd player on the bus
- YA (4.4/5) - “I’m feeling rough I’m feeling wrong in the time of my life” - Really thought they were more electronic indie but we’ve got some psychedelic rock vibes in here!!? - Of moons birds and monsters is a new fave, wouldn’t have thought it was by them - Yes yes yes more of this pls
Expected to love this but didn’t love any of it as much as I love the singles
its been a while since i listened to any mgmt.... yeah this albums still good. there's a lot of weird and interesting sounds in here that, together with the vocals being near-constantly drowned in reverb, give it a dreamlike quality throughout, and im down for that shit as always. obviously "time to pretend", "kids" and "electric feel" are still bangers but i also enjoyed "4th dimension transition" and "future reflections" a lot too, the latter in particular due to the weird reversed(?) reverb effect. that shit sounds dope. as much as i like this album, it didn't really manage to engage me the whole time so i don't feel like i can really give it a 5, but maybe thats just cos im already pretty familiar with it. either way.... it's still really good.
Quite fun
Amazing album, easily has 4. 5/5 songs
This is a pretty cool album. I'm sure I must have listened to it all the way through sometime in the past, although I didn't recognise much of it. Still a very distinctive style, quite pleasing, and Kids in particular is an all-timer that deserves a star all by itself. Can't believe this was released nearly 20 years ago - really makes me feel old!
What a fun album. Some real hits on this one - I've definitely found myself a love for this album, and have listened to some of these tracks dozens of times.
The hits hit so hard for millennials like me, but most of the filler songs were just mid tier indie. They shine when they lean into the electronic elements.
Shocked this album is on here, but then again I dont know a single person of my generation who doesn't know 1 song from it. Hits are hits for a reason, greats singles, but the back half lags. 4.
in your dreams frenzy
Incredible production, creates a world within the album that one can live in, such a distinct sound
A classique.
ahh my youth
Kinda sad that it genuinely surprises me when we get an album that has real cultural impact and was popular in the 2000s The top 3 songs on this are super iconic; Time to Pretend is one of those songs you probably haven’t heard in full a whole lot but it’s got a super recognizable synth part that will 100% be sampled to death in the future. Electric Feel is also a very solid song, I like how different it sounds to the rest of this album and would probably be a great live track. Kids is the undisputed masterpiece of this one though, what a great song; one of the most iconic beats of the decade and it’s gotta be my favorite electronic song of all time. Everything from vocals to instrument choice to musical focuses just works perfectly Definitely a top heavy album though, wouldn’t say any of the non mentioned songs are bad or anything but they’re pretty forgettable. I think the softer, less processed songs are just kinda there, and they don’t have any particular trait (no great voice, no cool rhythm etc) to keep you on this album after the bangers have passed. As much as I want to rate this one a 5 for how high its peaks are, I think the body of this album isn’t quite good enough to raise it there. I really did enjoy the entire runtime, but this is definitely more of an album where you listen to the hits and call it a day. Gotta be right around 9/10, but with maybe one more great song on the tail end, it would be near perfect
They had me in the first half, not gonna lie. Talk about a record with an absolute 10/10 A-side and a rather disappointingly lackluster B-side. It almost feels like the first 5 tracks are a culmination of their greatest hits from the previous couple years of releases despite this being their debut, and the next 5 tracks are outtakes that didn’t even make the track list on any of said hypothetical releases. That being said, the second half should not be avoided, as there is some sneakily enjoyable material in there that’s definitely worth listening to. Overall, an album of which the first half I would consider to be in my Top 10 records of all time... if we were only taking side-A into consideration, but it unfortunately just falls too far away from that praise in the back half. However, there really isn’t a “bad” track on this record. It’s filled with a handful of modern masterpieces, some decent, inoffensive material and a touch of forgettable, indie junk that’s still worth a listen at the end of the day.
This surprised me quite a bit. I think younger me wouldn’t have given this a chance, so I’m glad a more open minded me found this now. This is just good vibes. Maybe a skip or two for me personally, but overall great! 4/5
Three hits and some other songs. Part of the anthem of the late 2000s.
Well this album is very nostalgic to me for reasons that won't be discussed here 👿 I wonder if they knew what they had made, they seem like such chill dudes I don't know if they can recognize their own genius.
Hat mich überrascht. Kids kannte man ja aber Weekend Warriors ist so mein geheimer Favorit
The psychadelic touch with the problems with growing up. Its what i really wanted!!
This was a very excellent listen. A fun, danceable album. This is great!!
This reminds me of high school. I hated high school. I really am only familiar with the hits, and boy do they hit. The other songs are fine for what they are. A nice 2000s time capsule.
me gustó mucho!!!!!
Cool album, very pop and catchy.
4/5. Banger of a debut album from MGMT here, some of the best synth-pop of its time. you get some of the most iconic singles of the 2000’s with “Kids, “electric feel” and “time to pretend” but many of the deep cuts here are also great, I especially love “weekend wars” and “4th dimensional transition.” Just a super fun record all around. Also while on the subject of MGMT, the follow up to this debut “Congratulations” is also fantastic and probably my favorite of theirs (though I also do see why it never took off on the pop charts like this debut did.) they have a very consistent discography in general, only weak point is maybe the self titled.
4.5 First half absolutely rips, 2nd half meh. There is kinda a cool video out there of them playing in front of a college dorm. Crazy how fast they became big/popular
Great album, knew half of the tracklist.
Time to Pretend Electric Feel Of Moons, Birds & Monsters Future Reflections Skip track Kids
Gostei de alguns momentos, mas no geral não me empolguei tanto com as músicas. Dito isso KIDS é uma música geracional.
Time To Pretend is basically a generational coming-of-age track, and the songs that most know from this album are iconic for a reason. But the lesser known songs on this album didn’t really get as much traction for a reason. I can appreciate that they sound a little experimental though.
Electropop
Zoveel nostalgie en bekende deuntjes! Nu weet ik niet precies of dit hele album ironisch was of enkel wat nummers, om te laten zien we kunnen prima popmuziek maken. Maar pop is best wel saai, dus liever maken we onze eigen muziek. Ik vond het een heerlijke plaat om naar te luisteren toen we vanuit Voorhout met de nieuwe bakfiets naar huis aan het fietsen waren.
Fijn om eens het hele album te luisteren, ook erg nieuwsgierig hoe het hele album zich verhoudt tot die drie knalhits. Ik was benieuwd of er op de rest van het album nog verborgen pareltjes zaten maar dat viel eerlijk gezegd wat tegen. Je kan stellen dat drie nummers de rest heeft overschaduwd maar dat wil dan niet zeggen dat de rest niet goed is, maar het pakt minder. Ik kan me nog goed herinnereren toen de clip van electric feel uitkwam, die gekke geanimeerde bosdieren, die ontploffende maan, het heeft wel iets magisch. Ik geef het album 4 sterren, ik denk dat ik het vaker moet luisteren zodat de andere nummers wat meer op hun plek gaat vallen. Daarnaast vind ik het al razend knap dat je zulke gigantische hits kan bedenken.
no sabia que tenia temazos aparte de los ya conocidos
It was a time to BE ALIVE. What a moment in alt music, DAMN. What an iconic album, and the nostalgia is speaking through this review, goodbye.
What a debut, just some college students making a wrecking ball 4/5
cool album 7/10
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.
Classics erverybody born in the 2000s knows and some nice deepcuts like The Youth and 4th Dimensionel Transition
I don’t blame anyone if they don’t like this, but this kind of quirky alt stuff works for me
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
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 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
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 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.
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.
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
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.
Yeah... I enjoyed that.
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.
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
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
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.
preety fyare
Fantastic, i guess.
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 :(
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.
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.
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?
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
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.
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!
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
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
Innovative sound, the hits are total bangers, the other songs are pretty forgettable
Would listen again, hadn't realised I knew some of their songs. One for the summer days.
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.
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?
Lots of great, lots of meh. I'll round up to 4 because they have a unique thing going, and worthy of respect.
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.
awesome
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
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."
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 really like it!
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
one of the only true modern classics
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.
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 ⭐️.
make me feel like a kid again
it's 3.75
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.
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.
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...
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.
The most 2007 album of all time. In a good way.
So fire. Such an ironic album
Some absolute bangers in here
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.
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!
Great MGMT album
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.
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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.
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 was pretty good and some nice sentimental lyrics
very nice
These guys mix genres very well, i appreciate that. Some of these tracks are peak summer music. Fav song: “Kids”
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.
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.
⭐⭐⭐⭐- 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.
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
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
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
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.
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.
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.
Classic indie rock
stabil, das genre ist nicht mein favorite aber dafür cool
The kids seem to like it
I guess I really like MGMT. Didn't know that.
banger
Some great hits on this album. Particularly fond of moons, birds and monsters. Just falls short of 5 stars with a couple of weaker songs
melancolico, nostalgico, night vibes m encanta pop psicodelico
I feel like the sentiment of nostalgia will hit everyone at one point or another. I've certainly made mention of when an album or a song on my journey has brought back memories, and this is no different with the singles off of MGMT's debut. I distinctly remember "Time to Pretend" and "Kids" being everywhere in the late 2000s, which, for me, was a time of reaching adolescence, a very formative stage of growth and development that I think a lot of people can relate to. So naturally, I still enjoy those songs to this day, along with "Electric Feel," which I discovered earlier this year. That said, how does the rest of Oracular Spectacular stack up? Well, let me state that there are other strong songs besides the singles. The folk haze of "Weekend Wars", the Middle Eastern vibes of the polyrhythmic percussion and synth bounce of "4th Dimensional Transition", the Bowie-esque acoustic strum of "Pieces of What", and the frenetic psychedelic rock of "Of Moons, Birds & Monsters" turned out to be great bops. Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser do their best to combine upbeat melodies with darker lyrics and themes throughout the record. It's a formula that has stuck with the band throughout their sonic evolution, and it certainly works, albeit with diminishing returns in replay value. At the very least, Dave Fridmann did his best to make the most of it, modulating between blown-out, compressed production and cleaner, atmospheric soundscapes. That said, I cannot deny that this album feels front-loaded. Once "Kids" is done, there is a noticeable switch to more progressive psychedelic flourishes than the more marketable synthpop of the first half, and I don't find it as compelling. I wouldn't call it bad so much as the band getting lost within the weird textures and ideas they wish to explore. It would be nice to strike a greater balance between that exploration and maintaining the hooks, that's all. Still, I had a good time listening to Oracular Spectacular. As I mentioned, MGMT's sound would continue to evolve over the years, while still retaining some core elements to their songwriting. In a way, their debut does meaningfully set the tone for what's to come from them.
I imagine that if I were like 10 years older than I am, then this album would have absolutely blown my mind when it came out. I still love “Kids,” “Time to Pretend” and “Electric Feel”. But I just don’t like the other tracks enough to give it above a 4.
It's dance time! Millennial disco music. I like it.
Good stuff...
Like many others, I dived into this album in 2007 because I heard 'Time To Pretend' in a movie or TV show or somesuch and loved it. Like many others, I was confused by 90% of the album and didn't take things any further. It's a bold step to follow up that electro-psych banger with Weekend Wars and if I was producing or promoting this album, I'd have serious sequencing suggestions. But given some time and patience, there's a great album in here. It just feels chaotic, random and jumbled. You genuinely never know what is coming around the corner. That's fine, if you're ready for it and in the right mood. It took me a few days (20 years later) to find that mood but I am glad I did. It's actually an engaging, varied and fantastic album.
Such a great inclusion - magical album and one of the greatest debuts of all time. The Time To Pretend inspired by praying mantis eggs hatching on a model pirate ship anecdote gets me every time. 4.5/5
Det er ikke mange låter som eier 00-tallet slik Time to Pretend og Kids gjør. (Honorable mention til Electric Feel som er omtrent like bra, men ikke fikk like mye spilletid på radiolistene.) Eneste jeg kan komme på i farta er Clint Eastwood og Feel Good Inc. (Honorable mention til DARE som er minst like bra, men ikke får like mye kjærlighet.) I lang tid trodde jeg resten av låtene på skiva som huser disse tidskapslene var ballast. Det stemmer ikke. Hvis man forventer at alt skal være som de poppy hitsa, skjønner jeg at man kan bli skuffa når flere av sporene er mye mer psych pop enn electrobop. På en måte er MGMT Animal Collective for mainstream radio; de dekker litt av det samme territoriet, men med andre ambisjoner.
Denne skiva er jo tettpakka med hits. Og overraskende kul for å være en pop skive fra sin samtid. Nå er det jo strengt talt ikke så jækla mye pop her utenom hitsa
One of my personal favorites...
idk why i have never listened to this album in full - it slaps, big fan of The Handshake, Pieces of What and LOVED The Youth on first listen x
Pretty good, if a bit forgettable. 3.5 stars
Estás viviendo tu main character moment
A fun debut album that I still like all these years later.
I'm sort of begrudgingly giving this one a four. This album came out around the time I stopped listening to new mainstream bands. They're also one of the first huge bands whose members were younger than me, so at the time I wanted them to get off my lawn, but listening now I have to admit that this is pretty good.
Albums like this are strange to review because they are so engrained in a particular moment in time, for better or worse. The line between nostalgia and dated blurs here, but it's still a super fun album to listen to for the first or hundredth time, but not really in between.
Just sounds like college and captures the millennial spirit. It's still fun...vocals are a little goofy but the tunes are solid and it fits a vibe. I'll go 3.5 and round up because I am the perfect age and have the nostalgic connection.
molto scorrevole. mi piacciono le basi e i riffs di molte della canzoni dell’album.
Awesome neo-psychadelic pop vibes. Some songs much stronger than others. Incredible debut album.
Fantastic singles but surprisingly great outside of them. Very psychedelic.
Decent hidden gems on the album
Masse hits!