OK, let’s start by saying that you cannot avoid the hype on this record. Sometimes that can put people off before they have even heard the bloody thing but proof is always in the pudding and before we go any further with this review, it’s best to mention that this is in fact already my fave album of the year.
MGMT is a duo from NYC and the concoction that is unleashed when singer/guitarist Andrew Vanwyngarden and keyboardist Ben Goldwasser get together is somewhat electric. Between them, the boys have taken basic songwriting skills from heroes such as Neil Young and doused them in their own infectious psychedelic sauce that bites like chili and stings like a bee throughout. This is accompanied by the fact that producer Dave Fridman, (Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev etc) has stepped in to make their dreamy sounds come to life which adds mystique and beauty in droves.
Tracks such as the anthemic ‘Time To Pretend‘, ‘Kids‘, and ‘Electric Feel‘ are the so called flagship tracks but the deeper you get into this record, you realise that your favourite choon changes weekly. Take ‘Of Moons, Birds and Monsters‘ as an example. It oozes 70’s cool and then melts into one of the best musical breakdowns ever written. If you like your indie with a twist then you will not find anything this fresh anywhere else. Get it whilst it’s hot when it’s released on March 10th and look out for the single ‘Time to Pretend‘ out on March 3rd. Watch the video here and read a Crossfire interview with the duo here.
Zac Slack