Congratulations to MGMT. The Brooklyn “indie” act just released the cover for their sophomore LP, Congratulations, and it may be the worst album artwork I’ve seen all year:
The cover of MGMT's new album
All other bands out there, take notice. MGMT has thrown down the gauntlet for atrocious cover craft, and it is quite the challenge.
True, I’m not an MGMT fan. But, you’ve got to be unabashedly in love with the band to think Anthony Ausgang‘s piece for the duo’s new album is “good.” But, to each his/her own… or something.
Dude, obviouslythis went waaay over your head. Clearly what you have is a commentary on how, in our society even something as intrinsically awesome as surfing on acid fails to produce interesting hallucinations. Actually this piece corresponds quite well with band’s aesthetic.
That’s quite an assumption to make that the artwork went “over my head.” Just because I don’t think it’s a good piece of art, doesn’t mean I don’t get it.
True, understanding the meanings of a creative endeavor certainly makes it easier to like it, which is why I understand that you think the cover “went over my head.” But, that doesn’t necessarily make it any good either.
I have to agree that this is not a great album cover. I don’t think works with the band’s image at all. It is very “Nickelodeon” in style.
My biggest problem with it is that it just is not executed very well. The gradients and the brush effects are amateurish. The checkerboard pattern is cliche. The cartoon character is not appealing.
There are many talented artists like Mick Haggerty and Lou Brooks who could have created something much more interesting using the same concept.
http://blog.albumartexchange.com/2010/02/cover-for-mgmts-celebration-album-revealed.html
I like it. Reminds me of all the Sonic the Hedgehog games I played growing up, where sequels were inevitably worse than what preceded them, but prettier and trippier.
Specifically, this – http://superiorversion.com/wp-content/gallery/segaclassics360/sonic1.jpg
i actually really like the album artwork.
sure, it may look like a cartoon image, that is not some “complex piece of artwork” and although the album hasnt dropped yet, i assume that from their prespective the album cover matches the feel of the album. in the interview on spin .com they say that the album was largely influenced by surfing and psychadelic drugs. that statement reminds me of bands such as the planet smashers with their west coast psychedelic ska. i have high hopes for this album and i believe that mgmt will hit us again with another solid strong album. just like ocular spectacular and climbing to new lows. im on your side MGMT.
two words: shit sandwich.