In the press notes for this fifth record for MGMT, comedian Tom Scharpling describes the New York duo as having a “5-on-5 record and, last time I checked, in virtually every Hall of Fame.” “I will enter,” he declared. Few would agree with him about 100% accuracy, and ironically, their insistence on staying true to themselves avoids the idea of repeating the larger trend of “Oracle Spectacular.” This means that he has avoided such exaggerations ever since. It was all the way back in 2010 that they released a hit single and gave us the charmingly unconventional 'Congratulations' in its place. This allowed Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden to pursue their own very idiosyncratic musical paths, and it also freed up those who checked out after “Congratulations” arrived to become another “Kids.” ” and “A Time to Pretend” may be surprised to hear that MGMT is still not only a going concern, but a true creative force based on the handsome and assured “Loss of Life.” . They're amazingly skilled at taking classic pop structures and transforming them with smart new ideas. “Mother Nature” has a touch of glam rock, while “Dancing in Babylon” and “People” are gentle anthemic reinterpretations of Tears for Fears’ brazen synth rock for the 21st century. “In the Street'' and standout “Nothing Changes.'' The song mixes a mesmerizing ballad with an impressionistic saxophone-driven interlude, while simultaneously sounding like “Disintegration''-era The Cure. It's reminiscent of. Throughout, Andrew's eccentric lyricism leans away from the paranoia of “MGMT'' and “Little Dark Age,'' toward a search for love in the midst of darkness. He and Ben continue to quietly and calmly cultivate a strange pop groove.