MGMT - MGMT

Even since 2007's Oracular Spectacular, MGMT have always had a certain "what-the-fuck factor" to their music. MGMT, the band's third album slides the psychedelic dials to the extremes, as MGMT get trippier than before. One look at the tracklisting, and it seems apparent that Andrew Vanwyngarden and Benjamin Goldwasser have pushed the musical boat out even further than ever before.
When lead single, Your Life Is A Lie was first brought out, MGMT's initial fanbase were both taken aback by it's brilliance and shocked at just how odd it is. The whole album builds on how far out Your Life Is A Lie is, and has a completely unique sound to it that it's almost impossible to get your head around. The electronic, psychedelic sound gets almost TOO much at some point, but MGMT are not for those who like their listening easy.
Throughout this album, the Connecticut duo push the limits of what psychedelic rock can be, almost. Throughout the record you're constantly questioning the sounds you're hearing. Songs like I Love You Too, Death push the boundaries of a pop song, and cause you to ask yourself whether you are on something or not. It's almost as if MGMT asks more questions of you and itself than you ever could. Congratulations was fairly trippy, like psychedelic rock should be, but MGMT is on a whole new level. Maybe it takes it too far? The closer, An Orphan Of Fortune sounds almost like Tame Impala on a whole new drug, if you thought Tame Impala were out there, think again. The psychedelic electric melodies and, as Alex Turner would describe it, "Dr Dre beats" have a truly unique sound, which is clearly a result of excessive drug intake. It would seem drugs are a prominent theme, as all I personally can think when hearing MGMT is "I want what he's having".
MGMT is an album it's hard to get your head around. It's certainly the oddest I've heard all year, and I think maybe  MGMT have gone overboard with the psychedelia. It's by no means a bad album, but it's way over my head, and probably over the head of everyone who doesn't take excessive hallucinogenics. All the songs sound kind of similar, and it's hard to imagine truly loving any of them to the extent that you'd love the songs on the earlier, more accessible albums. Except for Your Life Is A Lie and RSD release Alien Days, the possible exceptions, everything is kinda forgettable, but not in a bad way. Maybe. Maybe it's forgettable in a "my-human-mind-can't-process-this-information" way, you know?

Rating: 7/10
Out: Now (Released 16th September)
Key Tracks: "Alien Days", "Your Life Is A Lie"