"...excitement around a new release after such a long wait is always accompanied by a sense of dread..."
MGMT - Little Dark Age
Label: Columbia
Release Date: February 9th 2018
Track Count: 10
Run Time: 44 minutes
Overview
It's been 5 years since we last saw anything from MGMT, and even longer since hits such as Kids and Electric Feel were doing the rounds. So, when I saw their name pop up in my list of upcoming releases, I got a little tickle in my nostalgia bone and started to get excited. Now, the excitement around a new release after such a long wait is always accompanied by a sense of dread. Will this live up to my expectations? How drastically have my tastes changed in the 10 years since I first listened to them? Can I handle any potential disappointment?
This album begs the question, is 80s New Wave becoming 2018's Psychedelia? There were moments where I felt as though I could be listening to The Talking Heads or even, to some extent, Kraftwerk (though I wouldn't class them as New Wave) and there are some definite nods back to other synth-heavy bands from the 80s.
I'm a fan of the recent influx of analogue and vintage synths and they're really well used in this album, from pulsing bass lines to vapour wave-esque, detuned lead lines; "Moogy" synth-brass sounds to wide open atmospheric pads. This album straddles modern synth-wave and psychedelia really nicely and squashes any fear of disappointment I had right from the start.
Today's Gems
Follow this month's playlist here
- When You Die
- TSLAMP
- When You're Small
- Hand It Over
1. When You Die
- I love the loose tuning.
- Good mix of 60s psychedelia and 80s sound design.
- There's a section in this track that sounds like Crosby, Stills and Nash, I love this!
- I like the Japanese influence.
2. TSLAMP
- TSLAMP = "Time Spent Looking at My Phone".
- Interesting commentary on the modern distraction of smartphones.
- I like the robotic sounds really driving the point home. The production and composition go a long way to making things feel like clockwork, computerised and mechanical.
- Love the Spanish guitar solo.
- The hook almost sounds like a ringtone, which I really like, given the context.
3. When You're Small
- Beatles influence?
- I love the atmosphere of this track. I'm not really sure where I am.
- Reversed samples make for really nice ear candy.
- Makes you feel like you're not really sure where to look.
- I like how it places you in the centre then just throws a load of stuff around you.
4. Hand It Over
- Really nice 60s style to the melody.
- Can hear an almost Beach Boys sound when the vocal harmonies come in.
- I can hear a very subtle soul influence in here somewhere.
- I love how far away the harmonies sound compared to the lead vocals. Adds a real depth to the track.
Conclusion
I really enjoyed this album. 14 year old me was throwing memories of summers in the park and the early days of partying at festivals at me, left right and centre. I don't know if I'd be happy saying this is MGMT's best work, but it's certainly a strong re-entry after a 5-year hiatus, and it fits really nicely with everything else I'm listening to at the moment.
Would I recommend it? Yes, definitely. Maybe avoid it if you're not into the recent 80s resurgence, but if anything's going to change your mind about it, it could well be this album. Otherwise, definitely give it a go. (One day, I'll listen to an album that I wouldn't recommend...)
What do you think? Are you an MGMT fan? Have you given this album a listen? Do you have any recommendations of what I should be listening to? Let me know in the comments below.
Last month's playlist can be found here