It was whilst cooking myself my classic daily plate of authentic homemade Italian pasta - and who knows me well also knows how strictly I cling to my healthy Mediterranean diet - that something on the radio struck me and caught my total attention. The radio was tuned to the infamous XFM London, not the music bible for me personally, but surely one of the most respectful influences and sources of good listening worldwide, besides being one of the biggest scouting authorities in the discovery of the music industry’s next-big-thing. The DJ, mighty Alex Zane, introduced a new band from Brooklyn  NYC, and the song “Time to Pretend” began to play.

In a few seconds I was literally blown away by the energetically psychedelic sounds, which I technically will not even attempt to describe as it is not my field of expertise. I will leave that to those who really want to spend time analyzing the micro-bit-sound-system or labelling the alternative-pseudo-psychedelic-new-big-thing out there. However what really got under my skin was the cleverness of the song’s lock-stock-and-barrel, from the music down to the absolutely sharp lyrics. In one word: brilliant.

Surely MGMT (yes this is the name of the band) has not brought something incredibly new and astonishing to todays music arena, or at least not yet, but the electro-mix its “Acid Test Cool Aid + the satanic era of the Rolling Stones” as described by Kevin O-Donnell in Rolling Stone Magazine, has surely recognized the duo as one of the 2008 Artist to Watch.  Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser say they started everything almost as a joke, they didn’t even think about a starting a career in music and let alone of becoming 21^st century rock stars. Yet they certainly have found an intelligent way of introducing and merging clairvoyance and mysticism with satirical messages and a wholesome sense of humour in their description of our contemporary frenzy and apprehensive society.

Time to Pretend is the single from the album Oracular Spectacular, a highly emotional song which plays with an intentional and subtle sarcasm, spoof of the stereotypical rock-star lifestyle. The video of the single may disappoint you, and if you are looking for a bold and highly technological, special effect-ed (or affected) rather than intellectually directed clip, this may not be your cup of tea. However, it surely gets its message across.

This song greatly teaches us of the stardom effect afflicting our contemporary culture on our consumed-within-the-matrix lives, and if we only were to look beyond the glittery and coveted lifestyle of the superstar media heroes wannabes of our actual society, for a fleeting moment in time we would find something more to life than not simply and continuously Time to Pretend.

MGMT Official website: www.whoismgmt.com

Filed under: Music