Rating: 4/5 stars

MGMT’s (“Little Dark Age”) first album in over six years is out, and it was well worth the wait. Fans  may be used to a distorted, almost intergalactic sound from them. “Loss of Life” is anything but. It feels like the evolution of one of the most recognizable bands in modern memory has officially been completed. 

The album starts with “Loss of Life, Part 2,” a follow-up on the final track of this album, titled “Loss of Life.” Part 2 is certainly better than Part 1, as it takes on more of an intergalactic, David Bowie (“Blackstar”) sound. It is certainly not a bad way at all to introduce the album.

Next up is one of their early releases, “Mother Nature.” It is a very enjoyable sound that holds the same feeling of nostalgia that some of their greatest hits like “Kids” and “Electric Feel” possess. 

Following closely behind is “Dancing in Babylon,” a love ballad featuring Christine and the Queens (“Paranoia, Angels, True Love”). This was very enjoyable as we hear a very raw sound from lead singer Andrew VanWyngarden, as opposed to the iconic distortion that normally accompanies his voice. The female vocals also help carry a relatively tamed MGMT track.

The album picks up with “People in the Streets.” This is a completely stripped down sound that features guitar and drums without any sort of modulation, which was a very nice surprise.

My favorite of the album is next with “Bubblegum Dog.” This feels very grungy and so stylistically different from the band’s normal sound. What a genuinely awesome song this is. It brings everything to the table that a fan of rock could want, and who would have thought it would come from a band that was previously nominated for Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals at the 2010 Grammys.

“Nothing to Declare” brings the mood back down with a very Radiohead (“Moon Shaped Pool”) sounding alternative track. 

The longest song on the album, “Nothing Changes,” feels like a follow-up on one of their best songs, “Time to Pretend.” VanWyngarden talks about feeling stuck in society and how nothing will change about the world, forever being filled with hate. “Time to Pretend” projects a similar message but still feels hopeful for change in the future. “Nothing Changes” is the loss of all hope. Definitely a really cool nugget for long-time listeners and followers of the band. 

The album ends on a couple duds with “Phradie’s Song,” “I Wish I Was Joking” and the aforementioned “Loss of Life.” Not that these are bad, they just follow some all-time great MGMT tracks. “Phradie’s Song” sounds like a Pink Floyd (“The Division Bell”) track as their inspiration on the band is very evident. “I Wish I Was Joking” got a bit repetitive towards the end, but was the only song that featured the iconic distorted sounds of Andrew VanWyngarden. As mentioned before, “Loss of Life” was just random space noises for five minutes.

Overall, “Loss of Life” was well worth the wait for MGMT fans. One of the most iconic bands of the 2000s does appear to be back, so hopefully we do not have to wait six years for more music this time around.

Image from MGMT via YouTube