Imagine this: a listener opens their desired music streaming service and comes to find that a well-known band from the early 2000s, known for their fresh electronic sound, has released a new album. They begin to listen and double-check their phone to see if they hit play on the right thing.

Soon they realize that the album is anything but fresh or electronic, and lyrics like “You know we just started / We’re proud-hearted like fish in the lobby / Dead and gone, dancing in Babylon” feel like attempts to be interesting that simply fall flat. This was the experience of many in the recent weeks following the release of “Loss of Life” by MGMT. 

The two-man band took on a new sound with their early 2024 release of an album that seems like a mix of “Kid A” by Radiohead and the crappy songs written by a 14-year-old Elliot Smith fanatic. The album takes on a very melancholic sound, but that is the only continuity to speak of. The only way that the songs fit together at all is their reliance on underdeveloped lyrics that leave listeners reminiscing about the band’s previous albums. 

The quality of said albums is what makes “Loss of Life” such a stab in the side. When the band debuted with “Oracular Spectacular” in 2007, the album topped charts for weeks with singles like “Time to Pretend,” “Electric Feel” and “Kids.” This album defined the era with electronic sound and spoke out from the perspective of an entire generation’s uncertainty about the future. “Little Dark Age,” an album released by the band in 2018, is proof that the band isn’t simply a one-hit-wonder. This album also takes an important stance on mental health and the disconnect between people with mental health struggles and the people around them.

“Loss of Life” is a disappointing album. It takes on the image of a person dealing with grief and self-doubt but is a sorry attempt at being an album that is actually about either. The lyrics are boring and seem to be an attempt to be cool while really just being confusing and feels like someone trying to grasp onto the last thing that keeps them interesting.  All the while, the album is a waste of 45 minutes and will leave listeners feeling like they’ve missed out.