The logic of Tik Tok is or rather seems incomprehensible. Equally incomprehensible and unpredictable was the surge in popularity on the social network of Little Dark Age of Mgmt.
A normal single, which upon its release, in 2018, had been quite lukewarm and had failed to enter the charts, as well as the self-titled album which had barely entered the US Top 40 and had given Mgmt nothing that they were, with that release, looking for confirmation of that sensational success they had already had 15 years ago with their debut album “Oracular Spectacular” (2007).
Little Dark Age it had suddenly become ubiquitous on social media during the pandemic and remains so today, reaching over 600 million streams on Spotify and over 5.5 million videos on TikTok.
Trapped by this social paradox, the American duo had, with this new album, a responsibility and an expectation to maintain, namely that of capitalizing on the unexpected success and trying to repeat the sensation only thanks to the strength of its music and not to the logic of the algorithms.
So here is “Loss Of Life”, their fifth album. The result of this research is 45 minutes and ten songs ranging from Bowie to Simon and Garfunkel, from Oasis to the psychedelic and melodic pop typical of the duo.
Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser have managed to create something that works and above all sounds.
The album, after a sidereal intro, opens with Mother Naturea piece that oozes with Oasis influence and then comes to the duet with Christine and the Queens in Dancing in Babylon, piece that sounds tremendously eighties. Eighties coming back People in the Streetswhere everything is wrapped in a languid and dreamy bass and ends with a prog synth and an almost stadium-like chorus.
Reminiscences of Ziggy-era Bowie can be found in Bubblegum DogWhile Nothing to Declare it could bring Simon and Garfunkel style folk closer.
In Nothing Changes we return to the stratified universe of Mgmt which also recalls the Cure in certain guitar turns.
Phradie’s Song it is soft as a feather, inspired by the chanson, which envelops itself with its final synth coda becoming almost evanescent.
I Wish I Was Joking it flows gracefully between soft and entrancing atmospheres.
It all ends with the title track, an imperfect summary of their idea of ​​pop made up of a mixture of icy electronics, brass band fanfares a la “Penny Lane” and plucked strings here and there.
Finally, with “Loss of Life,” the group seems more comfortable than ever in their own skin, free from trends, expectations and the need to find success at all costs.
A deliberately imperfect record as is their concept of pop.
SCORE: Score 7.00
1. Loss of Life, Pt. 2
2. Mother Nature – Rating 7.00
3. Dancing in Babylon (featuring Christine and the Queens) – Rating 7.50
4. People in the Streets – Rating 7.50
5. Bubblegum Dog – Rating 7.00
6. Nothing to Declare – Rating 7.00
7. Nothing Changes – Rating 7.00
8. Phradie’s Song – Rating 6.50
9. I Wish I Was Joking – Rating 7.00
10. Loss of Life – Rating 7.00
THE VOTES OF OTHERS
Uncut: 9.00
Mojo: 8.00
The Guardian: 8.00
Pitchfork: 6.90
TO LISTEN NOW
Dancing in Babylon – People in the Streets – Nothing Changes
TO BE SKIPPED IMMEDIATELY
An enjoyable album that offers a good listen from start to finish
