MGMT just released their fourth album Little Dark Age. This album marks the change in genre for the band. They are now more of a ’80s goth band, and I couldn’t be happier. This allowed them to branch out into a genre that fits their creativity and style more.
Check out the title track, “Little Dark Age” here:
They are constantly trying to get away from their “Kids” persona and want other people to see them as a collective band and not just a hit single.
Check out the hit single here:
This came out in 2009 and people are still talking about it. They have released other albums that have strayed away from their original Oracular Spectacular image.
They stated,
The album started off with the song, “She Works Out Too Much” which is a fun jam with background call out vocals that put a really modern spin on the song. The theme of this song is a failed relationship between a man and a woman who is obsessed with working out. This is a pretty creative idea that works in MGMT’s favor.
I love the lyrics:
The only reason we never worked out was He didn’t work out (He’s trying) (She works out too much) The only reason we never worked out was He didn’t work out enough (He’s trying)
It’s such a cheesy idea but I can’t help but dance to it. It’s funny to picture a gym rat trying to have a relationship.
Then the next two songs are the singles, “Little Dark Age,” and “When You Die.”
Check out my review of those songs here:
The fourth track on this record is “Me and Michael” and it puts the listener in a trace. It seems like this song wasn’t really meant for 2018 since it has a lot of 80s glam rock influences. The chorus of the song was supposed to be, “me and my girl” but they found that to be boring, so they changed it to Michael. They said that they don’t know who Michael is, which is pretty confusing but hey, the track is fun.
They also released a music video for this song, which is pretty hilarious:
Totally worth the six minutes. This is probably the weirdest music video they have ever done but it works so perfectly due to their great sense of humor and originality of the song.
The next song, “TSLAMP” is a song dedicated to how cell phones have impacted the way we communicate with other people. I like that they are making a political statement with this song. It is not really a stand out track but the instrumental bridge is beautiful as he sings,
“Last thing that you need Is the new shiny feature All the memories you’ve shared Devoured by perverted creatures Nothing can compete With the first time you saw her Passing strangers on the street Spending every moment looking at their phones.”
The fact that he is singing about a love that was lost because of the fact he was looking at his phone and not participating in real life is a powerful message. It really makes the listener think how much they have missed out on because they were focused on being in a different reality.
The next track, “James” is a tribute to their friend James Richardson. It’s not a stand out track but it is a nice song in the middle of the album.
“Day That Got Away” is a trippy creative song. It’s a great listen to put on your headphones and chill out. It has a similar feel that “James” has.
“One Thing Left to Try” is a more pop electric rock song. The song has great instrumentals during the refrain. The song talks about the singer’s struggle with suicidal thoughts. There is a positive spin on the song as he sings,
“The only way to get rid of the feeling, You have to draw the line, And remember there’s more than you’re seeing Decide.”
The message he is trying to get across is that you can either stay in your depression wanting to die, or you can change your life. It is really up to you what you decide to do.
“When You’re Small” is a really bad track in my opinion. Yes, I’m starting to become critical of this album. It seems like this album was supposed to be the big exit for this album but it fails to do so. I really don’t care if someone is small. I feel like this track was trying to be deep, but it lacked the lyrics to really convey that message.
The album ends with the track, “Hand it Over” which is a perfect way to send off the listener. It is more of a reflection track. It’s time to hand it over, and I’ll give you anything MGMT.
Overall album review:
I think that the beginning of the album was really strong, but then it faded out into more chill vibe with slower songs that were more abstract. I would say that this album isn’t the best MGMT album but it did do a great job of creating a new gothic image for them. “Little Dark Age” definitely set the bar high for this album and it is the best song on the album. I would say I’m a little disappointed with the other tracks that seemed to be filler. I know they wanted to make a collective album, but it seems like all the songs seem to sound the same. For example, “James” and “Days That Got Away” are so similar I didn’t even know the track changed.
Other than that, I think people are being way too critical about this album. They complain that they want their original sound, but that is not going to happen. Bands experiment with all different sounds and this album is pretty good. They wanted to make an album that has really catchy pop songs that don’t follow a formula. This album is jam-packed with them. I respect their creative decisions and I think it works perfectly. Hopefully, they won’t wait four years to put out another album because this is the start of something great.
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