MGMT - Little Dark Age ALBUM REVIEW

LDA, as it is commonly abbreviated to, is the 2018 studio album by MGMT, who famously blend psychedelia with catchy synth-pop. It is the fourth record in the band's discography, and is the first where the songwriting process wasn't exclusive to members Andrew VanWyngarden and Benjamin Goldwasser, since it features contributions from other artists,  namely Ariel Pink, who is known for the lo-fi, home-recorded aesthetic of his music. The artwork features an illustration by Jim Taber, originally published on the cover of horror zine Witness to the Bizarre, drawn on a bright yellow background.

 

The artwork is actually a pretty good clue to what the album sounds like: A quirky, frightened clown punctured into a bright yellow background. Little Dark Age is presented in a similar way. The music is melodic and colorful, and albeit sometimes melancholic, it is mostly uplifting. The sound is most definitely lo-fi inspired, perhaps by influence of collaborating artist Ariel Pink. The lyrics and the vocal performances however transmit feelings of boredom and aloofness that are the antithesis of the music itself. The lyrics portray themes such as breakups, loneliness, regret, anxiety, depression and unrequited love. The record seems therefore aware of the current pop culture landscape, where mental health issues have more relevance than ever before.

 

This album was definitely a taste-breaker for me. While I had enjoyed plenty of psychedelia at the time of my first listen, synth-pop was a novelty. And what a joyful introduction it was! I enjoyed this album right from the first listen. Little Dark Age seems to be a standout among MGMT's discography, possibly the high point of their career. The group had already achieved great commercial success with their debut Oracular Spectacular back in 2007, but after 11 years they prove to have still outstanding talent and ambition, refusing to accommodate themselves in the popular sound they had created before. I spin LDA fairly frequently because it has lot of music packed into it, lots of layers to peel and thoughts to take in. You should definitely give it a try.

 

Verdict: Stream it