MGMT : Oracular Spectacular

With their new album Congratulations
recently released, I dug up my copy of Oracular Spectacular... which really isn't in any capacity. I kind of compare bands like this to new-wave pop of the 80's. Most of the albums released during that time were synth driven nonsense with one standout track. Kids
is that standout track on this album and only because once that synth hook gets stuck in your ear.... it's not moving... like a chained down earwig gnawing at your brain.
So, when I first heard Kids
on the radio, like a mid-80's record buying chump, I got suckered into buying the whole album assuming the rest of the disc would hold up to that quality. Not so much. MGMT creates a nice consistent atmosphere on their record but all the tracks are pretty forgettable for me. To me, it's just white noise for an emo party too bored to care about the music they're listening too. And that's probably the appeal here. Much like the mid-80's, mainstream music was pretty devoid of substance. It was something you put on in the background while talking to your friends on the phone for 8 hours.

I know a lot of 'zines and websites have pushed this band up to the forefront of their scene because they seem to be doing something fresh and new, but the more you delve back into music history, the more you can see that they're just re-interpreting a sound that's been long forgotten over the years. Most bands are doing this now. From the Depeche Mode sounding schmucks to the Joy Division rip-offs, the "scene" as it were, is littered with folks who found a sound from the past and are trying to ape it. "It's RETRO MAN!" Meh.

I may get around to giving this band another shot, but not anytime soon. I think they have potential, but aren't where my ears would like them to be. And no, I'm not judging you if you like this band, because a lot of people do. That's fine. I just find it kinda boring for my tastes.