MGMT Sounds Great In The Darkness

Would you expect anything but macabre underpinnings from MGMT, a band whose video for "Kids" likely scared quite a few kids back in the day. Welcome to the two man band's new undertaking "Little Dark Age", which lays on gloom of a dimension that only goth kings The Cure could match. That said this little number ratchets up the curiosity factor by a wide margin. Andrew VanWyngarden and Benjamin Goldwasser lay down the eerie keyboards like there was a shortage declared somewhere. It's clearly capable of placing goosebumps on the back of one's neck. Most impressive though is how they manage to work a slinky beat in the middle of all that creepiness, Halloween appropriate no less. Andrew's vocals are satisfying in how glum they are. His hairstyle in the video makes us think we've engaged in time travel back to the '80s. The whole Cure aesthetic certainly is front and center. The sunshine can take a break in MGMT's world. Nothing but dead flowers here. As for the lyrics well they're real downers to be sure. Can you find any sort of uplift in "Breathing in the dark, lying on its side, the ruins of the day. painted with a scar. And the more I straighten out the less it wants to try. The feelings start to rot, one wink at a time." I know I feel loads better about my life following that bit of dark poetry. MGMT has the eccentricity thing down to a science. The magic works well in this instance. You tap into your voyeuristic tendencies no doubt. Plenty of minor chords milling about to keep your upset stomach alive and well. MGMT doesn't use the same canvas to paint with as the rest of us. It tends to like travelling cobblestone pocked roads that offer no real mercy for anyone who dares consider making tracks on them. I mentioned "Kids" earlier. That song had more of a giddy pace to it. By comparison "My Little Dark Age" glides across the melancholy on ice skates. Chord progressions are noticeable but don't run willy nilly over the main melody which helps you appreciate the ride you're taking on a higher level. The visuals truly stand out in comparison to all the other product flooding the marketplace. Lots of dark undertones on the color wheel. In my estimation the first verse is the easiest to make sense of. I suppose you could make a translation out of "Picking through the cards knowing what's nearby. The carvings on the face say they find it hard and the engine's failed again all limits of disguise. The humor's not the same coming from denial." One line really stands out..."I grieve in stereo." That line'a golden. In fact I'll go ahead and declare it best lyric of 2017. If you know how one grieves in stereo give me a dingle. We could be making science history here. What I like most about "My Little Dark Age" is how the synths burrow deep into your brain and won't release their grip on its fear center. Versatility thy name is MGMT. Am totally loving the bat on the mike stand. And candlesticks straight from the set of Dark Shadows, a nice plus. In short "Little Dark Age" chills the spine in the right places, making for a dazzling listening experience.