“Let’s make some music, make some money, find models for wives…” I would like to think that is what they are in this for. MGMT (aka the Management) is being heavily promoted by Columbia, with a ton of press materials accompanying the CD from Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser, the duo who met and formed MGMT while attending Wesleyan University, in 2002. At their best, as on the song “Time to Pretend” which is quoted above, they are exciting, different, new, and most importantly don’t seem to take themselves too seriously. When not at their best, which unfortunately is most of the record, they, well, let’s just say they aren’t at their best. They seem to be a bit unsure of how much electronica/club they want to be, and throw in more traditional instrumentation at times. Perhaps this is their attempt at reconciling what is referred to in the press kit as a “post-Radiohead” identity crisis in the music world. Radiohead, however, used and still uses electronics as another instrument, on par with guitars, bass, and drums, which were all played with a great deal of talent and taste, as a means of expression. This is not the case with this record, which is fine, but they are far better off expressing glibly their desire to not be too serious than to attempt to lay claim to a new musical style.
--William Carey
