MGMT

Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser have traversed three different phases as a musical duo.

In their nascency they called themselves The Management, before abbreviating the name and releasing the fame-inducing debut, Oracular Spectacular.

With the following Congratulations MGMT explored their own distinctive sound, one that was far from the sonic textures that numerous bands would imitate in the years following Oracular.

Their sophomore album saw them break free from mainstream audiences, creating a difficult yet ultimately rewarding opus.

With Congratulations having prepared our ears, the self-titled MGMT subtracts the difficulty and provides greater rewards.

While synthesizers defined Congratulations, it was grounded in acoustic instruments.  Humanising lyrics serve the same purpose on MGMT, in evidence on tracks like ‘A Good Sadness’ and ‘I Love You Too, Death’.

The album’s motif of finding beauty in melancholia is apparent in such track titles, as much of what exemplifies MGMT is its tones of foreboding. They permeate in ways that counter the wacky spaceship synths on opener ‘Alien Days’.

While layers of ornate psychedelia mesmerise on the likes of ‘Astro-Mancy’, ‘Mystery Disease’ and ‘An Orphan Of Fortune’, there are more straightforward pop hooks to halt the album from falling prey to its own egomania.

See ‘Introspection’, ‘Your Life Is A Lie’ and ‘Plenty Of Girls’ if you’re searching for the earworm tactics they left behind in the grave of Oracular Spectacular.  Yet even these tracks are slow to reveal the richness of their complexities.

Therein lies the triumph of MGMT. The essence of its captivation slowly changes with each spin, ensuring that our interest outlasts the initial promise.

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