Congratulations

MGMT claim they want their new effort to be experienced as a complete body of work, which reportedly means no singles. In keeping with that wish, I'm not going to review any specific tracks, instead commenting on the record as a whole.

It's a bit of an experience.

But let's not pretend it's something its not. Its nowhere near the amazing piece of art that some would have you believe. And its certainly not as deep and impossible to get into as others might claim.

The startling but hardly brief flashes of classic MGMT runs through the entire disc. This is another collection of perfectly enjoyable and above-average-ly interesting noises.

On the surface, it can sound a little messy, often going for a "more is more" approach until you're lost in some trippy maze of sound. But perhaps that's the point, because just when you're in danger of becoming lost, Pete Kember's jaw-dropping production has made sure there are plenty of tiny but not invisible, intriguing signposts to keep you afloat. Its the little effects that swim in and out of your headphones that give the album an illusion of impenetrable depth, down-the-rabbit-hole style.

Whilst it certainly looks (you can almost hear the album's title being said in a sarcastic tone) and feels like an expression of discomfort regarding the accidental success of debut album, Oracular Spectacular, it does little to hide the joyous and unbelievably uplifting mood of the entire record. Even if there is an undercurrent of slight acid-induced terror lurking round every corner.

There are moments that make your heart race like it did the first time you heard The Rowing Song in Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory. There are moments that make you want to blast it out of your car whilst driving along the beach on a summer's day (the artwork seems very appropriate at these times). There are moments that could soundtrack your most disturbingly beautiful dreams. Before I start sounding too pretentious, in short, there are moments for every moment.

It's a heavy, mind-bending journey from beginning to end. Depending on how much effort and patience you put into it, it can sometimes dip and seem a little repetitive, and a certain 12-minute track (NAMING NO NAMES...) is almost completely unnecessary. But, as a whole (as MGMT would have it), this a lovely step in the right direction. Its a smart, playful and beautiful listening experience.