MGMT’s self-titled third studio album has everybody talking. The critics have been very harsh on their new musical project, the fans are quite torn over what to think, while MGMT probably doesn’t even care about the opinions.
To be honest MGMT is not a very cohesive album, but it did grasp that whole psychedelia concept. It is very experimental, outlandish and trippy, with overlapping tribal chants and screams.
It is very different from their first highly praised album Oracular Spectacular that launched band to fame. It is also very different from their second album Congratulations. But there are some songs on MGMT that resemble the ones that we heard on the first two albums. Like “Alien Days,” which happens to be a noisier version of “Congratulations.” Also, we can’t really dismiss the whole album as an absolute failure, because it does have few gems. Songs like “Cool Song No. 2,” “Your Life Is A Lie,” “Plenty Of Girls In The Sea” and already mentioned “Alien Days” are all very innovative sonically and stylistically.
People are taking MGMT way too seriously. The band has stated many times before that they’re mostly interested in having fun.
MGMT’s Ben Goldwasser has been asked by Interview Magazine whether he was surprised by the way Oracular Spectacular has taken off?
To which he replied: “Really surprised. We weren't really trying to write hit songs or get recognition from other people. We were doing it mostly for ourselves, just for fun. To have it considered not just as an indie album but as a pop album is really surprising.”
I think that MGMT is not expecting people to like their new album. They’re rather trying to reinvent themselves by experimenting with the new sound. They probably knew that their new project won’t rub the critics and fans the right way, but they felt like doing it. I also don’t think that MGMT is an album that should be dismissed completely. It doesn't have to have a commercial success, but it surely does have an artistic quality to it.
Check out their latest video for “Cool Song No. 2!”
Image: Amazon