MGMT - Bubblegum Dog (2023) Review

MGMT has released their second single from their upcoming album Loss of Life and the long-awaited song is amazing.

The song begins with the sound of dogs howling and a very 90s alternative-sounding acoustic guitar. The music video does nothing but confirm this since the whole thing is a funny homage to 90s alternative.

“Bubblegum Dog” has so many great sounds. I love the synth that’s crushed and distorted and almost gives a destroyed 8-bit type of sound. The harpsichord that comes in near the end is so nice and gives the instrumentation a pleasant break. MGMT’s lyrics are always good and somewhat cheeky. I enjoy the themes of aging and introspection in these new songs.

MGMT are great at taking their influences and creating something exciting and unique. This song has some great influences like 90s indie and alternative and some 70s Bowie all mixed with the fun MGMT quirks. The build-up of the instrumentation near the end of the song is one of my favorite parts.

The song sounds like it would fit in a playlist with Chris Knox’s “Not Given Lightly,” some Oasis, and maybe some early Bowie.

I enjoyed this one more than Mother Nature, but they both have me extremely excited for the album.