MGMT - Oracular Spectacular

Availiable on Import since January, and just out properly in the UK today, MGMT's David Fridmann-produced debut album is an epic work of electro-rock in the traditions of bands such as Grandaddy, The Flaming Lips and Of Montreal. In similar traditions, the duo make more than enough noise between to make up for their lack of members.

Opening with the bubbling and churning "Time To Pretend", with one of the most whistleable melodies since Young Folks, its not a big surprise that this is their biggest and most well known song. This scathing attack on the record industry and the stars within it, yet this cliche is well executed and stands them in good stead for the rest of the album.

While "Weekend Wars" is a half-hearted attempt to keep up the standard, "The Youth" definitely falls flat on its face. Luckily, by the time "Electric Feel" and "Kids" rolls out, all is forgetten and forgiven. "Kids" especially, is an epic mini-album in itself, full of reprising hooks, and an overall aura of melancholy and existential confusion.

Its annoying how much the notion of "Space-rock" is blasted about as if to describe some quasi-futuristic epic noise. Its a phrase that long dogged Grandaddy and has been attributed to Muse and The Flaming Lips in the past. But all it reminds me of is that terrible Babylon Zoo song that I thought had long since been confined to the bargain bin of eternity. But with MGMT, you do really get that sense of what it really is. Although in fairness, they owe more to more traditional American Indie, with a hint of Blur's Britpop years.

"Piece Of What" sounds as if they were making a late claim for triute album to Ziggy Stardust, while "Of Moons, Birds and Monsters" and "The Handshake" are interchangeable with anything off The Soft Bulletin.

Album closer "Future Reflections" starts as the closest American thing to "new rave" but soon fizzles into an organ driven slow burner that ends this weird trek across the unknown.

This is one of those albums that really depends upon what you bring to it as the listener. It's not simple background music, and if you treat it as much it will soon merge into a single mess of noise and beeps, and not in the good Crystal Castles way. Yet, take it too seriously and you can almost see straight through the delicate fabric that binds the whole album together. Certainly, it is unsurprising to know that David Fridmann has also worked with the Flaming Lips, nor is it a shock to know that they have toured with Of Montreal both as a duo and with their current 5-piece set up.

Certainly an interesting, if imperfect beginning.

Oracular Spectacular is out now in the UK on Sony BMG.