MGMT - Loss of Life ALBUM REVIEW
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- Опубликовано: 30 май 2024
- Listen: mgmt.bandcamp.com/album/loss-...
The duo's most patience-rewarding album.
More pop reviews: • Pop Reviews
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FAV TRACKS: MOTHER NATURE, DANCING IN BABYLON, PEOPLE IN THE STREETS, BUBBLEGUM DOG, I WISH I WAS JOKING, LOSS OF LIFE
LEAST FAV TRACK: NOTHING TO DECLARE
MGMT - LOSS OF LIFE / 2024 / MOM+POP / NEO-PSYCH, PROGRESSIVE POP
8/10 www.theneedledrop.com/loved-l...
Y'all know this is just my opinion, right? 
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This album was great! Favorite song has to be Kids or Electric Feel
Whenever I think of MGMT I think about the tik tok bass jumping guy
Has to be 4th dimensional transition. Its a 3d cube inside a 3d cube, and at the center is a chubby kid armed with whip cream akimbo. It doesn't get deeper.
It was awesome! My favorite was The Less I Know The Better
The handshake, future reflection are fire I hold those over kids and EF
@@roach9397 Did you know MGMT is just one guy?
if it was called "Loss of Hair" it would have been a 10
Fuck this was funny
One of the few times that this joke has made me laugh
LMFAO
@@c01by-jack the black midi one is great too
legit lol'd to this, bravo
"The duo's most patience-rewarding album."
The fans were most certainly not patient for this review lmao
You are correct :)
na genuinely, so frustrating. part of the point of this channel, for me at least, is to find new music to listen to. begging and pleading with the guy to review an album you know you already like is such an odd concept.
as someone who was impatient, it was because of how difficult and much this album is to take in, really just wanted to hear another opinion from an outlet that wasn't some sanitized pitchfork lol. all in good faith though
@@big_man_on_the_scenebecause we wanted to hear a fresh perspective and an experienced music listener's thoughts on it? It's pretty straightforward tbh, it's not like I or any MGMT fan would have liked the album less if Fantano had given it a negative score.
Real
Nothing Changes has become one of my favorite songs ever, beautiful track.
Shit made me cry wtf
That last 2 minutes is amazing
My favorite from the album too
It's funny how a lot of people don't get that the song is actually about CHANGE
The fact that everything is constantly changing never changes, therefore nothing changes
Hence the "time to stop pretending" and the alluding to medieval warfare/hero's journey "thrust the dagger into the night" and "push the boulder off to the side"
One of the best they've ever written for sure.
@@adamalchemy2790 push the boulder off to the side is kino af
"Nothing to declare” being his least favorite is bonkers!
the only one i skip is dancing in babylon
Didn’t he put that song on best tracks in weekly track roundup previously?
I concur
I think it’s weak.
He has the worst takes ever. That's literally the song that saved this album for me.
There’s no fuckin way it’s been 6 years since Little Dark Age came out. Time slips through my fingers like so many grains of sand, and I am powerless to stop it.
wow, that's the theme of the album!
covid ruined time
"the flow of time is always cruel..."
sheik form zelda
Calm down there, art student
I remember the spring/summer of little dark age. TBH- it’s been a long 6 years for me.
Their discography is becoming legendary
Always has been
I think the last two records have really solidified it. With that being said, their debut is pretty bad aside from the legendary singles. Also the Self titled album is a little bit of a stream-of-consciousness snooze fest.
Still amazes me fans/critics panned Congratulations and LDA when they first dropped, those albums are both solid 9/10 and classics
@@world_of_manny_malibuoracular spectacular is legendary and excellent
@@world_of_manny_malibu I mean you can declare oracular bad but with no reasoning behind ur claim and the fact that most ppl disagree it really means nothing
@@world_of_manny_malibu the non singles are actually some of the best songs
If "Nothing to Declare" is the least liked song for him, it tells you how good of an album it is.
Exactly, everyone’s missing this
i feel the same, it's my least favorite as well but it's because of all the other songs it's up against rather than anything about the song itself
Nothing to declare is unfortunately the weakest track. Great album tho
It's a trash album but that's the best song fs
Nothing to declare is the strongest track. Bad album tho@@passthejamz231
For me, this is one of those albums that comes incredibly rarely. I think the last time an album moved me this much was Ants From Up There, I genuinely could not tell you the number of times I cried to this record during the first 72 hours that it came out. Its themes of love, human nature, loneliness, and the passing of time all just hit me like a freight train, one after another, the songwriting and production were phenomenal, the performances were all top-notch... Easily a 10/10 record and their best work to date
Okay boomer
I totally feel you
I like the record, but saying it’s better than LDA or Congratulations is blasphemy lol
I am starting to agree
Good lord! The only time an album moved me to tears for the sake of beauty was when I first heard Leonard Cohen. Most recent, to my advancing age, was upon hearing _"Neighborhood #1"_ for the first time. MGMT has been a top 10 favorite for me since '07, but they've only ever made me joyful and, at times, introspective.
Your comparison of the post-LDA reception of LOL to the post-Oracular reception of Congratulations is something I was really happy to hear. Especially considering Congratulations is considered a modern classic now. This album is a slow burn and I’m glad you took the time to digest it and made that point clear. People were so quick to pile onto dismissing this as “mid” after only hearing it once :(
Not to be a gatekeeper or anything but it really kinda showed who the real fans are. The ones who have been listening for a long time know that this is right down their alley and that them switching up their sound and challenging the listeners with unorthodox song structures is part of what they have been doing since the beginning. This feels like a missing puzzle piece in their discography that just makes their whole catalog more cohesive as a whole, couldn't ask for a more appropriate followup to LDA
Imo you had that division between “fans of Electric Feel/Kids” and “fans of MGMT” all the way back in the late aughts, and definitely by the time Congratulations came out.. Congrats made that more apparent and concrete, but I feel like those of us who found the second half of Oracular better than the first half (or at bare minimum just as great) were always the Trve Fanz™️…
Don’t get me wrong, I loved “the hits” from Oracular: I still remember the first time a friend played me “Time To Pretend” and “Kids”, but once I got the album, I fell for the sound of the band bc of the flip side, not the hits.. When I made my “trip playlists/mix CDs” I was adding “Future Reflections”, “4th Dimension Transition”, and “Of Moons, Birds, and Monsters” (still my fav song of theirs), not the hits..
Yeah definitely took me time but I love it, no doubt in 10 years it’ll be a classic to
Hey I saw this comment on the subreddit
Nothing to Declare as least favorite is wild
He must’ve really liked the other songs for him to do that then, shoulda been a 9
Insane, even lol
Dude went mental there.
typical ahh melon take
why?
Nothing Changes really really hit for me. It’s been a while since I’ve emotionally reacted in such a heavy way to a song about cold acceptance
yellow flannel season i guess
Season of the 8s. I stg 90% of the reviews this year have been 8s.
@@WinedandDined27 Next review should be what his current prescriptions are.
he looks like that white rapper, I forget his name
@@notanotherjamesmurphy5574 Tom Macdonald
@bosu37 this already well known:
Cold brewed coffee 60g ground (once daily)
Men's daily multivitamin 30x per month
Hi-Tech Promethazine Hydrochloride and Codeine Phosphate Syrup 473mL per month
Percocet 5/325 x90 per month
I remember the day Congratulations dropped. I had been following the band closely at that point (Metanoia, of Moons Birds and Monsters, etc.) and therefore literally laughing out loud as I read the meltdown taking place on my facebook feed that day. To hear it has become a 'modern classic' is approaching simulation theory levels for me because that album was literally my go-to comfort music when I thought I might be starting to have a bad trip. (By that point it might be too late.)
I listened to the hell out of the self-titled. Can probably recite most of the lyrics. But I couldn't bring myself to ever listen to it on psychedelics. The thought terrifies me to this day. But I also felt like LDA was the band playing it too safe. It's not surprising that the gems (not hidden, clearly on display) on that album are gaining recognition now. That album is full of great vibrant, disarming jams. It's the MGMT you would show someone who wasn't that interested in the first place though.
Now older and with my first child. Loss of Life speaks to me in the same way Congrats did when I was over a decade younger. Same band. Same me. Same melon. Trans-
-ition. I love you all. Especially you.
Congratulations was a huge record for me when it dropped, and still stacks up as one of my fav neo-psych albums. I was in eight grade and didn’t read music journalism so I had no idea it was critically panned untill recently. Music critics are idiots
As someone who may have stumbled upon something magical, I may have to take a listen to Self Titled. Just listened to Loss of Life ❤
Something about Nothing Changes is so so crushing emotionally. Also I kind lf interpreted Bubblegum Dog being about how MGMT have been intentionally trying to avoid being the band they were perceived as on Oracular Spectacular. Like he fears writing another pop song that will maybe unexpectedly blow up and connect with people they probably never wanted to connect with because they know that those are the only songs some people will ever like. But also that if he tries too hard to not write a pop song like on their self-titled then no one will connect with it.
I had a similar interpretation of Bubblegum Dog
I thought the song was about death tbh
It's fantastic. Calling it Congratulations' depressed older brother is funny and makes a lot of sense.
The Congratulations to Little Dark Age.
Like their sophomore album this one demands more listening sessions to unlock its core appeal but when you crack the code its a damn bliss.
Fans expected something in the direction of "In the Afternoon", their first single post LDA, instead we got this fantastic record.
These are the last lines of the opening track "Loss Of Life Part 2":
I was reaped and placed in an oven
I fell to the ground when I was being roasted
And a hen swallowed me
For nine nights was I in her crop
I have been dead, I have been alive
I am Taliesin
This is what the whole album is about. Living, followed by loss of life and the aftermath, for both parties involved (rebirth for the dead, acceptance for the living).
That's why the album starts with part 2 and ends with part 1.
Awesome album btw.
Major midlife crisis themes
Damn I thought it was "I am timeless" at the end. Oh well haha
@@adamalchemy2790 Taliesin is an ancient Britonic poet, this poem was probably written in his name in the 13th century. Some really cool stuff
@@kierangraulich5762 just read up on that actually haha very cool indeed
There is a lot of ramblings of reincarnations and loops throughout this album and I am in love with it.
the whiplash of Nothing to Declare being in the best tracks of the week over a month ago to being the least favorite track
that's how u know the album's good :]
That means that he thinks his least favorite track on the album (right now - that opinion can change with time, obv) was still one of the good new tracks that he listened to that week. Assuming the list is divided into good tracks, meh tracks, and pooer tracks.
To be fair he had a lot of nice things to say about it too
Mgmt made the album cover black yellow and white just to match anthony yellow flannel omg their mind
Lana del rey moment
i would have lost my life if it got anything below a 7
So glad you liked dancing in babylon! Thought it was such a lovely emotive duet!
I'm glad people are liking it. To me it just screams "stadium pop power ballad vibes" and I'm not a fan.
It’s so good!
@@mikeexits valid! I think despite the larger sound, there's a gentle queerness to it that I find quite heartwarming
@@sumacmusac That's my take too, almost as if the intent was to gift themselves a nostalgic and secretive instrospection to push themselves forward. I like it because it feels like a safe space, like being stuck in someone else's happy thought.
@@KaelllinnExactly my thoughts. As if the entire record talks about destruction in a poetic way, abduction, social classes, noise, war and changes all around... And DIB feels like, enduring the hard times with your close ones.
really floored by how varied yet consistent their catalog is. congrats is an all time favorite album for me, and i expect for LOL (lol) to continue to grow on me
The Gobbledygook in Mother Nature is actually an Elden Ring reference. They said during an interview that Elden Ring is part of the DNA of this Album and they specifically mentioned the castle line from Mother Nature and the "thrust the dagger" line from Nothing changes.
The final song made me cry
whoooo knows how the painting will look IN THE MOOORNIIIING
I had a small revelation while listening to that song, while sober
can’t stop loving MGMT
one of my favorite things about this album is how the last song kind of "soft transitions" into the first song, carrying a similar melody & the same names. perfectly fits the themes of this album, about the cycle of life and death.
LEAST FAV TRACK: NOTHING TO DECLARE
...im sorry?
I mean honestly it’s probably bottom 3 for me but even then I still love it. There’s not a weak song in the album.
For real, it’s one of the best songs of not just the album but their entire discography.
Nothing to declare is unfortunately the weakest track. Great album tho
Nope, ur wrong tho@@passthejamz231
@passthejamz231 not when you're watching the music video for it. Even though I love Mother Nature, both in audio and visual, Nothing To Declare is hands down the best music video.
I really think the outro on the last track "Loss of Life" is the sequal to Future Reflections off Oracular. Have a similar progression and powerful ending.
Damn didn't even know there was a new MGMT album
It’s Time To Pretend for me
They're gone from Columbia so the marketing was a lot more DIY this time around. Personally I'd have preferred an album in the vein of In the Afternoon/As You Move Through the World, that likely would've been an easy favorite MGMT album for me. As it is now I'd rank it like:
1. Little Dark Age
2. Self-Titled
3. Tied between Congratulations and 11-11-11
4. Loss of Life
5. Oracular Spectacular
Well there is. Go listen
Now
@mikeexits an album in the vein of In The Afternoon would've just been another LDA because that song sounds like it 100% belongs with that album. More LDA-esque music would of course be amazing but MGMT tends to not retread old ground
Pay attention
I loved *every single* single that MGMT released for _Loss of Life_ .
I'd compare it to Lana's _Did you know there's a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard_ album. It's brilliant and her best work. That album definitely turned me into an air conditioner overnight, exploring the rest of her discography.
I think my problem with _Loss of Life_ is that I am unsure if I completely understand it (like you said), or if all the song tie up together well. It's definitely an album that requires our full attention. I have a feeling it deserves to be a 9, but my other issue is if the album should be more longer to make the album feel complete. Like I said, I have to first try to understand the message and references. Yeah, the title speaks for itself; it is about 'loss of life,' to appreciate and explore life, to love your love ones, and to welcome the inevitable. What comes death, comes life.
I'm so happy you reviewed Allie X's latest album (like I knew you would), _Girl With No Face_ , and ill be honest and say I was vibing with her album more, but _Loss of Life_ is more stronger. Surprisingly, I am content with your rating score.
_Loss of Life_ is *probably* MGMT's most mature and personal album (ok, I haven't listened to all of their albums). It's definitely my favorite album, and I love it more than LDR and OS. Their best work.
Mother Nature rules! Nothing changes is beautiful! I also enjoyed People in the Streets and Phradie's Song.
It may be due to language barriers (I'm Brazilian and I speak Portuguese), but I had an interpretation of this album as a whole, especially regarding the "loss of life" like having a child, that is, losing a part of your life to generate another, besides seeing the beauty in it all.
My favorite album of the year for sure. Lyrically hits me the hardest in this time in my life
calm down...we're still on march..............
@@thundershockNOW uh? I can like music? The album hit ME, maybe not you
@@isaiahtowers1865 no, im not saying it’s bad or anything, i’ve liked it too, but to call it the best of the year when it’s still march…that got me
@@thundershockNOW I didn’t say that though, I said it’s MY favorite
You know it’s good when the comments are actually talking abt the music
Loved your “Drops Tier List” segment on the RM Brown Program Show! I saw the thumbnail this morning and thought, “It’s weird.”
And it makes me cry.
Please review MGMT already.
He did he didn't give it the perfect score it deserves
What I like is that it’s productionally like slushwave, somehow? Like the production, the way the songs are composed to me on this remind me of “desert memories”, but then they have that 80’s and crisp sound that you get in a studio that isn’t slushwave. I do think it’s interesting they had oneohtrix point never help out on some of the songs. If you asked me it’s a masterpiece it’s up there with “a beginners mind” for me.
MGMT really is a band you can count on, and this is so rare these days. I knew I would love it and I loved it.
Congratulations is still my favorite from them, but several songs on this one were great. Bubblegum Dog has been stuck in my head for weeks (in a good way)!
This album was fantastic, definitely up there with Congratulations. You’re extremely right about the nature of the appeal of this album given the dense complexions the album holds. I remember through the first listen I knew this was going to be one of those epic albums that opens up over time- like a very fine wine. It’s been truly enjoyable to listen to since it’s came out. Always finding new things that catch my attention. The floor is incredibly high with this album, while I’m not frothing over songs like Nothing to Pretend, I appreciate it in the context of the album, and I think that’s what this whole work is. Each song compliments each other perfectly. All in the right order.
My take on the ending, it makes a lot of sense if you have it loop back to the first song. It feels like a big aha moment while simultaneously leaving you with so many questions- typical MGMT. the ending makes me feel like the album is resembling of a cycle of life, and the final track is like the end of one’s life, with the beginning of the album feeling like a fresh start again. There’s too much I could talk about just the ending and the beginning. This is why I love MGMT.
Great review, I think you hit all the points. This is a very mature album that takes a bit of dedication to appreciate to its fullest extent, but is highly worth it. I rate it a very solid 9. Maybe it’ll grow to 10 status with Congratulations down the line. This is definitely going to be up there with Congratulations in the long run.
Really surprised that so many people seem to be so underwhelmed by the album. If anything, I thought it was their most overwhelming record yet, hit me so hard emotionally. And this complaint I keep seeing about tracks “dragging on”?? Since when was that an issue lol, it’s so sick that the tracks are long. It’s not like nothing happens on them.
This!
Glad it has a good score but we can’t agree less, Loss of life is my favorite track followed by nothing to declare. I’m very surprised you’re not into the best bits, like the psychedelic endings of certain songs. And to me it’s definitely a step above LDA, lyrically and sonically
Im liking the new trend of Anthony recreating the album covers in the thumbnails
I liked the album on first listen but wasn’t like in LOVE with it, but on second listen it really clicked with me, I’ll be surprised if there’s an album this year that I appreciate more than this one, their discography is seriously impressive
The first time I listened to this album I knew that I loved it, at least sonically. But lyrically and emotionally, it left me somewhat confused. A week later, and it being on constant repeat, I'm no nearer figuring out my emotions about it. It has made me cry and hopeful somehow, but I still have questions. One of their best
If I could come up with something clever you would’ve given my comment a 10
PEOPLE IN THE STREETS 🗣️
I think Nothing to Declare is a song that only the hardcore fans can fully get. It's very personal and intimate. Best one on the album for me or tied with I Wish I Was Joking.
Thank you for a thoughtful review on this strange album. I’m still trying to understand it, and this further motivates me.
Nothing To Declare in worst tracks is criminal, glad you liked the record though
It’s sitting at 3rd favorite for me right now but it keeps growing and growing. Their most beautiful and vulnerable record for sure and they’re building up an absolute monster of a discography. 9/10.
Waited forever for this review. Thought it would never come...
Nothing to Declare is constantly stuck in my head. The concept, the sonics, everything about it is just beautiful to me. I think the music video represents it perfectly too
This and congratulations are near perfect albums! This one was more mellow, and inviting. I hadn’t even realized I had it one repeat while listening to it in full.
Cant wait to see them live again. Please tour soon and come to AZ
this why i still come to this channel
Nothing Changes is the song I needed, I didn’t get so emotional for a song in a long time, maybe my favourite song of the year so long
as someone who didn't like this album very much, while i don't mind the score, the tracks he didn't like are EXTREMELY surprising to me. nothing changes and phradie's song are my favorite tracks by far
So curious about why you don’t like the album. I think it’s by far their best work yet.
@@benjadamonit’s probably number 3 for me but I agree it’s amazing. 9/10 for sure.
I think it’s equal to Self - Titled in terms of accessibility
@@benjadamon I also didn't really like it on first listen, I think because I was expecting something more energetic and in line with a lot of their previous discography that I love. I'd like to try it again though, the change might have been a little too jarring for me to really appreciate it for what it is.
People in the streets gets to me a lot, honestly one of their best songs if not their best.
Love this record. Anthony had me cracking up with the depressed uncle bit definitely a sad vibe to some of the songs
As someone who has dealt with existential rumination/depression since I was a kid, this album and its lyrics are balms to my soul.
Thank you for doing this review! ❤
not Anthony starting the video talking in a David Lynch voice 😂
I was really surprised that congratulations and the self titled weren't praised on release. Criminally underrated. Especially the self titled album.
Self titled best album forever and always. I love how Loss of Life sounds similar to it in some respects
@@greatsupper agree 100%
Alien days still remains my favorite song by them.
Nothing to declare at least favorite reminds me of lone's nostylist somehow also being least favorite on no stylist (album) 😭
Listening to it high takes it to another level
It's an experience. I was cheering them on. Haha
I listened to it with strep throat, sick as fuck. It hit different
Dude I listened to it high the night it dropped and it was a religious experience lol. Might’ve been in tears
fantastic album, glad to see it being appreciated by everyone. objectively amazing
I believe mid life crisis because at that age you think about everything like the loss of life, how much in life did you never get to do to not fearing but recognizing death as you know your near. This album provided me with everything I wanted to hear and it does make me feel comforted as they said they want their fans to feel. This album is perfect for my age of thoughts.
what I've said so far about this album, from the first listen to a week and a half later, upon a TON of listens... when Congratulations came out, I was 13 years old and it fully changed the trajectory of my relationship with music as a listener, and it helped me keep going on as a musician as well. if this album had come out when I was 13 instead of Congratulations, I can almost guarantee it would've had the same effect on me. that's high praise coming from me. this album is phenomenal ❤🔥
Since Indie sleaze is coming back into the sphere as many of the groups we came to fall in love with along the way, Master Peace is coming into it in a new way, would love to see it reviewed ❤ Peace mentions MGMT as one of his inspos
Loved it. Their best album so far. Hope we don't have to wait 6 years for more. Fav Track: Nothing Changes - the Alice in Chains intro and the line about stop pretending (considering their previous advice on 'Time to Pretend') gave me chills.
for myself who is a bad album listener what 1 or 2 songs do u recommend me to listen to from this album (best songs)
i wish i was joking and nothing to declare
People in the Streets and Bubblegum Dog
Nothing changes!
One of their greatest strengths is that each successful album is followed by a more challenging response. OS followed by Congratulations is obvious, but Congratulations followed by MGMT too. MGMT is one of my favourite MGMT albums, up there with LDA. LOL is still cooking in my head though, but there are some strong parts
Good review. Though I'm surprised you didn't give much attention to the double meanings and general wordplay throughout. Since this more than neatly justifies the puzzle of LoL parts 1 and 2.."Mother Nature" refers to the chaos of the natural world, and the creation of modern nurturing environs. "People In The Streets" also has an existential thing going on, as well as the political meanings that of course you were salivating to mention. "I Wish I Was Joking" I agree is a superb deep cut, has some of the best examples. Yearning to be joking with a partner and brilliant twists of phrase:
"Nobody calls me. The Gangster of love!"
"A new day is dawning / I wish I was joking" ....great effin record
Can’t forget about the Philosophical depth of Bubblegum Dog
Can’t wait to listen. Congratulations is my favorite record of theirs by far, so I’m interested to hear how this new one is related.
I'm so glad this got 2 listens from ya. I'm personally really into the album. Stoked these guys found their weird ass footing in the indie psych world.
Nothing Changes is one of my favorite songs I’ve heard in years
Glad to finally have an opinion on this album! thanks melon
Oh yea yellow flannel! I have been trying to convince the people who think the album is boring that it just requires patience. Oracular Spectacular and Little Dark Age are their most poppy and immediate albums but if you have patience all of their other albums are just as good in my opinion. MGMT has a way of making songs that seem straight forward on the surface and that can come off as boring on a first listen but they actually pack a lot of nuance in the instrumentals , song writing and song structures that is more rewarding on a 3rd , 4th , 5th listen. They are growers not show-ers. 🍆
its crazy little dark age is considered poppy now. It was really not very popular in its initial release in 2018
@@dripofu well it’s more accessible than Congratulations , the self titled and Loss of Life .. but by poppy I don’t mean like overly commercial . MGMT always has had artistic integrity and never sold out.
interesting. I agree with nothing to declare take but he put it in best tracks list of the week
I went to the listening party in LA and got to meet them !!
mother nature was my song of last year and will definitely come to be one of my faves of all time, the rest of the album did not disappoint at all
Shit Congratulations was on of my favorite “modern” records when it came out their SNL performance got me hooked on them (being a huge Eno fan no wonder why) I’m glad to see they’re getting the praise they deserve
I was hooked after first hearing Mother Nature, last fall. That song is pure magic! People in the Streets reminded me/took me back to their earliest sounds. The title track, which is second to last. Really hit the sweet spot for me. Loved the lyricism. Bubblegum Dog & Nothing to Declare were definite growers for me. I will kind of agree that the album overall didn't quite pack as much of a punch from what Im used to seeing from MGMT. The stand-out tracks arent as pungent as they were off of LDA. Or even the last one from '22 was probably the most abstract and trancey we've ever heard/seen them. Maybe it just felt more daring or intriguing from a listener's standpoint. Also, Loss of Life barely has 10 songs on it. (I don't count intros etc.) While I'm here for quality over quantity, I think this album would've benefited from having 2-3 more songs on it. 10-11 songs is often how much they'll give us from a new release though. But personally I think albums should be at least 12 songs in length.
Great review by Fantano. I agree on that 8 score and glad to hear he liked ‘I Wish I Was Joking’.
maybe my favorite album of the decade so far. Addicting to listen to and the more "mature" sound and themes and consistency in track quality almost makes their past albums seem shallow by comparison (though still great in their own way, Congratulations is probably still my favorite, but this is a very close 2nd)
Loss of life is already looking like my favourite track of the year. It just hit me like a rock
Loss of life or nothing to declare are easily the best songs on this album
Nothing to Declare has to be my favorite on the album, but I think I'm going to need to give it all another once over after hearing your pretty positive review of the album!
What’s with the horse in the thumbnail Fantano? Is there something you want to share with us regarding your fascination with horses?
I’m so glad that Congratulations is starting to receive the acclaim it’s always deserved. One of my favourite albums of the 2010s.
The album smacks of David Foster Wallace vibes in a cool way. The circular track listing (Starting with Loss of Life (part 2) and ends with Loss of Life ) is hella Infinitie Jest. Plus the themes of inner struggle, confusion, change, drugs, etc etc. Love this album.
I think this album actually has a lot more parallels to Congratulations than just in the placement of either in their discography right after a more accessible record and being "high-concept." There are specifically a couple allusions to Siberian Breaks, and the title track on Congratulations, on I Wish I Was Joking and the title track Loss of Life, with the gentle, polite applause of the former record being echoed with added jeers and cries on I Wish I Was Joking. I think there is some interplay between the thematic conceits of either record; maybe Loss of Life really is the older, more depressed, but more sincere counterpart of the cynical Congratulations. Both cover similar emotional ground. I dunno just something I noticed
I will say, I've never really listened to MGMT because I liked that one hit and never thought to explore their discography... but I listened to this album after seeing this upload and absolutely love it. Now I'm definitely going to listen to every record of theirs.
Oh wow, I was in the exact same situation 2 years ago so I’m a bit jealous to hear that you’re about to go on a crazy cool ride I wish I could repeat 😂I just loved their entire discography. A small piece of advice, if I can, however heartbreaking it may seem, these guys never repeat themselves, so just take every album as a very unique gem that it is 🤷♀️👍😉
Ok forgive me if im asking a stupid question but why did melon say Little Dark Age was their last album when they dropped 11 11 11 on 11/11/22? Was it not a studio album?
It was not. It’s a live album of a live performance given on 11 11 11.
@cactaceous oh interesting. Thank you. I wasn't paying the most attention when I listened to it and since I didn't recognize the songs from other albums I assumed it was just an album.
@@marcosposse3750 The songs were new compositions written for an art exhibit but the album released was a live recording not a studio album.
Really getting into your reviews, especially since we share quite a few opposing views. You should check out the new Yard Act album, would love to hear your thoughts!
Excellent review Mr. Fantano!
the phradies is beautiful. one of my personal favs
It’s a Grandaddy homage
This clicked with me in a very similar way that Congratulations did, like almost all of MGMTs work I absolutely adore it
I have realised that Your videos are much more fulfilling to watch if I listen to the music first. It's a completely different experience.
If this is MGMT's "Loss of Life", you would've given it an 8