MGMT Emerge From Their Little Dark Age
Alex Matthew
Earlier this year MGMT returned with a new record after a five year absence following their last album and an arguably eight year gap since they last created decent music. Luckily the ironically titled Little Dark Age (2018) does not reflect where the band are currently at but where they’ve just emerged from.
It would be foolish to speak about electric duo Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser, more commonly recognised as MGMT, and deliberately ignore their supersonic rise to fame which occurred back in 2007. It’s mentioned in quite literally every article surrounding them for a reason. In three songs they conquered the world, clashing pop with electric-punk their tracks Kids, Electric Feel and Time to Pretend became a soaring sensation gliding from radio stations to TV advertisements and through films like a phoenix trailing fresh fiery pop music wherever it flew. On Spotify alone these three simple tracks have gone on to amass over half a billion listens, becoming crowd pleasing anthems which forged a memorable soundtrack for an early millennial generation.
Yet MGMT never wanted to be a pop band.
This is evidenced perfectly in their two follow ups to 2007 smash hit album Oracular Spectacular, which came in the form of 2010’s Congratulations and it’s younger self titled sibling which was born three years later. Both albums furiously set out to go against everything MGMT had previously established themselves to be and in turn confused both many critics and fans alike.
What’s perhaps most interesting about MGMT is that despite it’s success both commercially and critically, the pair weren’t particularly thrilled with their debut record. Tracks like Kids which had become worldwide sensations were written in a mocking manner when the pair cheekily challenged each other to pen a pop song in order to boost crowd numbers at their early on-campus university gigs. Their original music which they first played prior to this was entirely instrumental and even came closer to bordering on performance art in some instances.
Traces of this early intimate instrumental artistry would crop one again, only this time much later in their career.
Their third album in particular sees this remerge from the shadows and not always into the best of lights. MGMT is a disappointing deeply flawed entry into an otherwise relatively solid catalogue of LPs. Many of the sound combinations feel curiously mismatched and the music fails to land with much emotional resonance, no matter how obscure and complex its arrangements may be. In some cases it even begins to feel clinical, so meticulous that it lacks any real soul.
Their sophomore effort, Congratulations, on the other hand is a far more commendable piece of work which was arguably not as well received as it should have been upon it’s release. The critical verdict was by no means poor but major platforms such as Rolling Stone, NME and The Guardian all dished out dreaded lukewarm three star reviews with Rolling Stone unfairly dubbing it a “hazy hit and miss album”. The fans on the other hand were split! The album lacked anything like the previous trio of singles the duo had become so famous for and left lovers of their past music with little to grab a hold of. Others loved it and grew closer to MGMT than ever before, proclaiming the album superior to their delicious debut.
The fact of the matter is that it is. Whilst Congratulations may lack the radio friendly singles the fans and record company were expecting, it’s a psychedelic pop album laced in gorgeous musical arrangements and rewards viewers who return for repeat listening, each spin revealing new hidden depths.
Despite this, not all on fans could get on board and when the poor self titled MGMT arrived it only hurt the duo’s dwindling reputation further. MGMT were heading nowhere but down and each album had come accompanied with diminishing sales and worsening critical responses. In fact when their latest record was announced there was heavy speculation unless it did something radical it could well be their last or at least their final released under current powerhouse label Columbia.
Then in October of 2017 MGMT dropped the titular track from their upcoming album, Little Dark Age, marking new music from the double act for the first time in over four years. Yet something was up with this single, for the first time since their debut an MGMT song actually sounded like a single, a funky synth sound accompanied by hooks and worthwhile lyrics. Not only that, it was music you could dance to.
Something had changed.
Released in the February of this year, you could just about make the argument that Little Dark Age might be MGMT’s best work as the record seamlessly mixes the feeling of their early music with the intrigue of their later efforts resulting in a smooth blend that somehow works perfectly. What’s most appealing about the record is it’s charming eighties throwback sound which MGMT use to speak intelligently about modern day issues and topics of discussion. They’ve unearthed muddy synths and grimy guitars to craft dance beats that combine excellently with Goldwasser’s chameleon vocals which shape-shift from song to song.
The opener, She Works Out Too Much, almost feels peculiarly jazzy in places as Goldwasser discusses his fatigue at the state of modern dating in cheeky hyperbolic lyricism conveyed through fuzzed out vocals. It’s titular follow up and first single off the album, Little Dark Age, raises the game instantly. With a heavy synth base acting as the foundations shining hooks can flourish and bloom into endlessly catchy choruses, the likes of which we haven’t seen from MGMT in years. When You Die is no different, only this time adding a razor-sharp nihilistic edge to the powerful wordplay as the group stare into the abyss. Luckily gorgeous guitar riffs sing back in order to lighten the tone of the song and help sweep lyrical threats of violence and suicide aside.
Perhaps the most eighties-esque of all the tracks is the delightful Me and Michael, rising from the ashes of the sardonic When You Die and quite possibly straight off the soundtrack of a John Hughes film you must have missed. The mobile phones absent from those cult classics but firmly held by the teenagers of today are addressed in TSLAMP (Time Spent Looking At My Phone). It’s message may be the most heavy handed of all MGMT’s digs at technology on the record but it’s hard not to find yourself taken by yet another stunning melodic composition (again synth heavy) and Goldwasser’s exquisite delivery of the lyrics is more than enough to warm you to them.
He then slides into the lower end of his register for a baritone performance in James, less shiny and feeling more reclined than most of the album’s other tunes it’s hard to work out if your listening to one of the album’s most underrated tracks or perhaps one of its weakest. However it’s quickly replaced by a pleasant departure in the album’s only instrumental (almost, the title is repeated a few times in synth masked vocals) track, Days That Got Away. It’s a worthwhile intermission and fits the album well, serving as a fitting addition to the collection.
One Thing Left To Try sees more experimentation from the group but is careful to maintain hooks and a funky sound which ensure it’s kept on track. Meanwhile the album’s penultimate track, When You’re Small, is a steady building affair that begins in dour melancholia and borders on sci-fi as it reaches an impressive conclusion.
The album draws to a close with Hand It Over, one of the record’s best. It’s slow dreamlike feel conjures up misty imagery of aimless wandering in despair and successfully reflects the LP’s darker tones and themes whilst once again showcasing brilliant instrumentation which is ever-present throughout all of MGMT’s work.
Little Dark Age is a brilliant return to form for the dynamic duo as it successfully comments upon modern day issues through the eye of an eighties pop music past, all whilst crafting infectious tunes to rival and capably stand alongside the best of the groups early world-conquering hits.
