MGMT, “Congratulations” (Columbia)
It’s a madcap world that takes something as wacky and delightful as , what with its quirky/ psychedelic pop songs, and launches them to gold-record status and headlining dates at .
Some will cheer on the weirdos, and others will lament the day frat boys first heard “Electric Feel.” Regardless, MGMT is one of today’s great champions of the underground. And the band doesn’t pull any punches on “Congratulations,” its second full-length on Columbia.
The record has the odd falsetto ballads (“Someone’s Missing”), the psych-rock jams (“Flash Delirium”) and the challenging, time-signature-shifting hits (“It’s Working”).
When MGMT headlines Red Rocks on June 11, it’ll show that the masses still like weird music — especially when it’s couched with memorable bass lines and infectious synth hooks. — Ricardo Baca
Lab Partners, “Moonlight Music” (Pravda)
“Moonlight Music” is a misleading title for the fourth long-player from , a 12-year-old Dayton, Ohio, space-rock outfit. While it captures the band’s patient, atmospheric disposition, it doesn’t do justice to the noisier moments — when it sounds as if the moon is actually crashing into the Earth. For evidence, see the downed-power-line guitars and tumbling percussion in “We’ve Been Burned,” or leader Michael Smith’s seething vocals and buzzing instrumental momentum in “Strange.”
Along with quieter, more Eastern-flavored tracks like “All Is Beautiful,” the album betrays an obvious reverence for shoegaze and psych- rock forbearers, but never approaches the vague menace of spacey contemporaries Black Rebel Motorcycle Club or the Warlocks.
It’s a little short on innovation, but much like Denver’s dearly departed Bright Channel, Lab Partners are best when cranking up the volume and luxuriating in distorted sonic abandon. — John Wenzel
Jonsi, “Go” (XL)
As Jonsi’s “Go” finds its start in the track “Go Do,” it’s easy to be surprised at the bounce, the joy of the Sigur Ros frontman’s solo work. Iceland’s Sigur Ros is responsible for some of the most stunning atmospheric music of the past decade. But Sigur Ros was never bouncy like “Go Do” or dancey like “Around Us.”
What’s most rewarding about “Go” is its bold statement that, yes, Jonsi needed to step out from the gorgeous, multi-layered chamber pop group to create a record that was every bit as complex — but filled with fun instead of pretension. It’s no slam against Sigur Ros. This record complements the band’s work nicely, though, as the liner notes admit, these songs don’t fit into the context of that group.
That said, “Go” is a sonic indulgence that is a close, upbeat-and- jaunty cousin to Sigur Ros’ music — perfect for those days when “Ágætis Byrjun” is just too dark.
Jonsi headlines the Paramount Theatre on April 21. Tickets: — Ricardo Baca
Rafter, “Animal Feelings” (Asthmatic Kitty)
utilizes repetition, infectious lyrics and tracks chalk full of instrumental layering to inspire fun on his album, “Animal Feelings.” Rafter sounds like the experimental side of Beck meets Jamiroquai. Hard to imagine? “Animal Feelings” remains even harder to describe as it demands multiple listens to fully digest.
Upon first listen, the shear tenacity of all the instruments hits the listener over the head. This can lead to sensory overload. After listening to the album a few times, everything seems to slow down a bit. The simplistic beauty of “Animal Feelings” presents itself by the third or forth listen. The interweaving instrumentals nicely complement the straight forward lyrical repetition. A perfect example of this can be heard on the opening track “No Fucking Around.” The song has two verses, but the robotic voice repeating the chorus line “no no no fucking around” overshadows these.
Rafter’s vocals hold the instrumentals together. His higher pitched voice sounds relaxed, yet direct. The lyrics flow at a steady pace and sound like random thoughts of an idea that has not fully been flushed out. These are not the type of lyrics that haunt someone for days, but the catchy refrains are memorable. — Greg Stieber
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Ricardo Baca is the founder and co-editor of and an award-winning critic and journalist at The Denver Post. He is also the executive director of the , Colorado’s premier indie music festival. Follow his whimsies at , his live music habit at and his iTunes addictions at .
John Wenzel is the co-editor of Reverb, editor of the blog and an A&E reporter for The Denver Post. His book was recently published by Speck Press. He also maintains a of random song titles.
Greg Stieber is a Denver freelance writer and regular contributor to Reverb.
