Infinite Shuffle

I’m really not sure what to think of MGMT. They put out some very catchy songs on their 2008 debut album, Oracular Spectacular. But overall, I feel like they are an acquired taste — somewhere in the vein of The Flaming Lips, but less experimental-sounding.

If you’re a regular reader of my blog, then you probably have very indie leanings when it comes to your musical leanings and have probably already heard of the New York City duo.

I was hooked when I heard the opening strains of “Electric Feel” — as far as I’m concerned, if you don’t like the opening and closing melody on that song, you’re not human.

Their first single, “Time To Pretend”, was a solid hit as well, but it wasn’t until “Kids” hit the airwaves that they really started to get a following.

Those three songs helped propel Oracular Spectacular onto many a “Best of 2008” list, including my own.

The album itself had a lot of psychedelic influences — as you could probably have guessed by the title — but it was countered by a healthy dose of electronica and pop that made it easier to digest.

The band’s second album, Congratulations, which came out last month, has a whole slew of different sounds emanating from it. Early on the disc, MGMT seems to be channeling more of a ’60s-style psychedelia, something that sounds like a mixture of The Flaming Lips and The Polyphonic Spree.

But then, about halfway through, things take a much more mellow tone. So much so, that the sixth track, “Siberian Breaks”, literally lulled me to sleep — hence the tardiness of this week’s post. That opus, which clocks in at a robust 12 minutes, 10 seconds, is really like four or five vastly different songs rolled into one.

It’s followed by “Brian Eno”, which I would consider my favorite track on the album.

Overall, Congratulations has a lot going on, and the casual MGMT fan might not even realize they’re listening to the same band that put out Oracular Spectacular. But fear not, it’s a quality album — and like its predecessor, it takes a little time to get used to.

P.S. I’ll be seeing MGMT live in Chicago on Friday. Hopefully I get my concert review completed in a more timely manner than this review.