MGMT - 'Oracular Spectacular' (2008)

Versions:

CD

LP

Tracklisting:

1. Time To Pretend

2. Weekend Wars

3. The Youth

4. Electric Feel

5. Kids

6. 4th Dimensional Transition

7. Pieces Of What

8. Of Moons, Birds & Monsters

9. The Handshake 

10. Future Reflections

Best Tracks:

Kids

Pieces Of What

Weekend Wars

Time To Pretend

Currently listening to: LP

I first heard this album during my first trip to London in 2008. One of my friends that I was staying with was part of a record club that mailed him CD’s of new, up-and-coming albums. None of us had ever heard of MGMT, but we popped it on to see what we thought. I quite enjoyed it. I remember thinking that it sounded a little psychedelic, which I quite liked. After that initial listen, I largely forgot about it, other than being surprised to see a billboard for it near a hostel I stayed in a few days later near Wembley. It certainly didn't strike me as a particularly commercial record.

Fast forward six months, once I was back in Australia, and the thing fucking exploded. I didn't expect that. After hearing (and liking) 'Electric Feel' and 'Time To Pretend' all over Triple J, I saw the album cover and realised that it was the same band that my friend in London had played me. Then, they were everywhere. Which was great. I always enjoy when music I like actually hits the mainstream in Australia (I would have also never picked The XX to ever be as popular as they were, either. Goes to show what I know).

It wasn't until 'Kids' that I bought the album. Every weekend, my friends and I would go out dancing to the same place we always did. And the DJ kept playing this fucking great song. I didn't know what it was for a few weeks, but I eagerly waited for it and danced like a spastic when it did, inevitably, come on. Then, I found out it was 'Kids'. What a fucking great song! I became obsessed with it. When I first got the album, I just played 'Kids' on repeat. It took me a few months to actually listen to the whole album. I still love 'Kids'. I think it’s easily one of the best singles of the 00’s (probably Top 3, along with 'Hate To Say I Told You So' and 'Standing In The Way Of Control').

Once I got past 'Kids', I discovered the album was pretty good. 'Weekend Wars' had been a free single on iTunes at some point before I got the album, and I really liked that, too. The first half of the album (or, all of Side A if you’re listening to the vinyl version, which I am) is pretty much all gold. 'Kids', 'Time To Pretend', 'Weekend Wars', 'The Youth' and 'Electric Feel' are all great. 'Electric Feel' is actually my least favourite of the singles from this album, but it works much better in the context of the album.

Side One is, easily, the more accessible. The second half of the album, or Side Two, gets a bit more interesting, which isn't always a good thing. Until tonight, I’d forgotten how much I loved 'Pieces Of What'. '4^th Dimensional Transition' is also good. 'Of Moons, Birds & Monsters', 'The Handshake' and 'Future Reflections' aren't bad, they just pale in comparison to the preceding seven tracks.

Oracular Spectacular is still a great listen, even if it does slightly die in the arse by the end. It certainly hit more times than it misses.