And now, for something completely different. Indeed, MGMT’s dreamy psychedelic pop listens like little else. At times, seeming like a more coherent Animal Collective, at others, it's own thing entirely. Oracular Spectacular swings for the fences musically, but makes sure not to lose sight of the core of their music: melody and harmony. I mentioned Animal Collective, a group of which I am not a fan of at all, and one of their biggest problems is they get too lost in experimentation and lose track of any kind of melody, and MGMT purposefully does not do that. Many tracks like Time to Pretend or Electric Feel are built on the backs of melody, and very pretty ones at that. Kids is easily the most recognizable single off the record, and that one displays the kind of pop ecstasy that the record can hit. Despite that, MGMT doesn’t forget to experiment with their keyboards, with 4th Dimensional Transition being one of the most experimental tracks on the record. But unlike a more avant-garde act, MGMT doesn’t lose sight of the core of its songs. It always feels like there’s a method to the madness, and it makes the cascade of sound all the more interesting to explore. The vocals on the record are particularly interesting, with the effects that are layered on them making them almost more like another instrument instead of lyrics to try to listen to. Not that you can really hear much of what they’re saying if you were trying to listen, but regardless, it accomplishes what it sets out to do. The whirring and echoing beats of the Handshake end the record on a more experimental note, and ties the record together very neatly. While the last quarter or so is probably the least interesting from a pure pop standpoint, it shows a bit more of the group’s versatility and how weird they can get with their sounds. Of Moons, Birds & Monsters is a particular favorite from the tail end. Overall, it’s a damn fine psychedelic pop record.
Rating: 3.5/5
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