MGMT
Oracular Spectacular
Columbia Records
By Mike Randall
Now that we’ve reached an age where more and more bands are translating the influence of the Flaming Lips, it’s going to be interesting to see how the newbies compound the intergalactic psychadelia of Pink Floyd with the vision of punk. Bands like Black Moth Super Rainbow and Of Montreal have all taken and run with the Lips’ lessons by writing daringly sonic records that don’t forget about song craft, yet still open themselves up to a highly visual interpretation.
With Lips producer Dave Fridmann on board, Brooklyn’s MGMT (pronounced “Management”) more than pay homage to their heroes on their excellent debut Oracular Spectacular, as their symphonic electro-rock clearly uses them as a model. Instead of growing up in age of acid-fueled creativity, MGMT feel just as embedded in the ecstasy culture, owing as much to ‘80s dance as they do ‘70s stoner rock. Theatric in both sound and presentation, multi-dimensional, synth-heavy layers blast out of the speakers like a sci-fi movie with the subject matter to match, and most tracks would feel just as at home in a club or in a video game as they would on a concert stage. The disco-funk of “Electric Feel” comes off like a more hetero version of the Scissor Sisters, with cornball humor like, “Ooh girl/Shock me like an electric eel.” While the Soft Cell-ian synth line of “Kids” is about as dance-happy as you can get, it’s not all about a groove. “4th Dimensional Transition” is an experiment in vintage Pink Floyd psych-pop, a trippy soundtrack to a story about an existence in a parallel universe, while “Of Moons, Birds and Monsters” finds MGMT utilizing the jagged edges of “Gimme Shelter” before launching into a crescendo reminiscent of the Lips’ “Flight Test.”
Although MGMT will be far more recognized for their sonic smorgasbord, these songs would be a mess if it weren’t for their gift of melody and texture. Dramatic choruses soar above the clutter below, giving life and identity where there would (and probably should) be none. Song structures are held together by tight guitar and keyboard lines, evident by the gorgeous acoustic arpeggio on “Weekend Wars,” which finds MGMT in Radiohead territory, and “Pieces of What,” with borderline country-folk that somehow never loses its weirdness.
“This is our decision to live fast and die young,” MGMT sing on “Time to Pretend,” sarcastically wallowing in the unlikely prospect of rock excess. “I’ll move to Paris, shoot some heroin, fuck with the stars.” This type of artistry will likely not have them flying their own starship any time soon, but, you never know – the Flaming Lips career of longevity has silently become quite lucrative, and MGMT seem to be inadvertently following in their path. It’s a path that’s bound to take many turns, and a journey that will always be interesting.
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