Song of the Week: Time to Pretend by MGMT

You may know MGMT for songs like “Kids” and “Electric Feel”, but my personal favorite is “Time to Pretend”. Their first single, and the first song off their 2008 debut album Oracular Spectacular.

The characters of “Time to Pretend” dream of the rock star lifestyle, imagining cars, money, drugs, and the high-life. When they realize what they’ve left behind, they miss the old life and their families, but tragically, have to move on with their lives, this is the life they chose, and they were “fated to pretend”. Lyrically, the song is just stellar.

I have to hand it to the band on their music as well. The production is lush, and dense, while also staying melodic. The track heavily relies on bright and psychedelic synths to create sweet leads and harmonies. It’s overall an excellent piece.

The song is absolutely one of my all time favorite tracks.. It’s brilliantly written in every aspect, and I really enjoy listening to it whenever it shows up in my shuffle. Although not every song of theirs is this great, I still love what this Psychedelic Connecticut college band has done for music. I hope that their third album is as good as their debut.