MGMT invites you to open your mind to the multi-dimensional vibrating Technicolor sounds of Oracular Spectacular.
The term Oracular Spectacular might not mean much, if anything, at all--it's essentially nonsensical--but that doesn't stop it feeling exactlyright. Here is a band that treats dizzy cross-eyed awe and a vast bounding sense of sonic weightlessness as their yardstick, jostling to surpass themselves on a track-by-track basis and aiming for the musical equivalent of performing somersaults in tye-dye t-shirts off the rings of Jupiter. MGMT seemingly submit this debut album as an application to acquire and even supersede The Flaming Lips' previously uncontested mantle as spiritual leaders of over-sized Technicolor psychedelic-indie with a soul, weird but not so weird that swelling crowds and even flirtations with the charts aren't a foregone conclusion. "Time to Pretend" opens and sets a tone for the record, producer David Fridmann (Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev) providing a familiar expanse for them to riff across with bull's-eye synths, massive drums and their twist on the template--retro 80s electro and abstract shapes, see Suicide and the Talking Heads for reference. "The Youth" is centred around a hypnotically looping refrain that recalls Pink Floyd and David Bowie, as interpreted by a mellow Secret Machines and the brilliant "Pieces of What" is Ryan Adams spinning through cosmos with classic Neil Young on his headphones. "Future Reflections" meanwhile stand on its hands on a line somewhere in-between XTC and Ween. Thrillingly eclectic, endlessly colourful and never predictable. It's all a bit ridiculous, but indeed spectacularly so. --James Berry

Customer Rating:
Summary: A groovy electro adventure that does for the 70s what electroclash did for the eighties
Comment: Although I never received this from amazon, I listened to it in other mediums. MGMT has a laid back groove somewhere at the intersection of Scissor Sisters and Phoenix with a dash of Thievery Corporation. Not a bad place to operate and with nary a jarring note.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Truly spectacular!!
Comment: MGMT are a New York duo whose Pop/Dance/Rock/Electronic sound makes for a heady mix. Their very playful disc "Oracular spectacular" comprises just 10 tracks (these days, loads of CDs average 11 tracks, doing away with filler).

"Let's make some music, make some money, find some models for wives" they sing in the buzzing "Time to pretend" as they spell out the hedonistic lifestyle they have mapped out.

The acoustic "Weekend wars" reminds me a wee bit of The Beatles. "Of monsters, birds & monsters" is more upbeat. An extremely catchy retro sounding Pop/Rocker. The echo-ey "The youth" is so retro sounding, almost a Doo-wop ballad with shimmery psychedelic effects. "Electric feel" is disco-tinged and finds the duo singing in falsetto. Extremely catchy and one of my favourites.

"Kids" (aptly filled with sounds of kids at play) is a stomping slice of Dance/Rock, while the droning "4th dimensional traditional" features some tribal sounding percussion. "Pieces of what" is a lovely acoustic ballad (with percussion and epic strings coming in before the end). "The handshake" is a lovely ballad with echo-ey/disembodied vocals, while closing is the woozy psychedelic-sounding "Future reflections".

A spectacular debut!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Oh wow, awesome stuff guys!
Comment: Just shy of turning 40 I`ve become a little bit of a fossil regarding whats hip and new but Im so glad I didnt let this little gem get away. Really fantastic.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Best MGMT Record Yet
Comment: Not to sounds pretentious or like a music snob, but I use to listen to these guys since they were referred to as "The Management". All I can say is that they've definitely grown over the years and that this is their best record yet. If you like the single "Time to Pretend", you'll love the rest of the album. This is one of those records you'll listen to again in 10 years and it wont feel like it has aged.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Amazon 5-star
Comment: I don't understand the rating of this album. I agree with it, but I don't undertand it. So far it is a collective 4 star. I give it 5 stars. Nay I give it Amazon 5 stars. It is not a true 5-star in the sense that it is a flawless album that can be recognized for greatness by just about anyone. However, I can asure you that this is an Amazon 5-star, where fans love it so much that they over-review it and give it five stars. If any album is worthy of that, it is this one. Call it what you want, New Wave, Glam, Electro-Indie, this album is amazing. There are 4 songs (tracks 1,3,4,9) that absolutely blow me away and make me want to share them with everyone I know. Probably Electric Eel most of all. Of the other 6 songs, you will not find 1 bad song. All songs have somehting that hooks you in to some extent. Again, not all seconds of this album are heaven, but I have not heard a track that I want to skip. If you are a fan of this genre or at least open to this genre, do yourself a favor and buy yourself this album. You can thank me later. They're greeeeeeeaat!

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