It's said that a rising tide lifts all boats, so the opposite would have to be true as well. Ghostland Observatory had been knocking around Austin for a few years prior to Robotique Majestique, but it was their first album to come out after MGMT blew up. Granted, what ensued was a label feeding frenzy only by 2008's standards, but it was a pretty opportune time to be in a duo whose main talking points were squealing synths, hair-metal falsettos, and a wardrobe that included capes. In light of MGMT's rough 2010, you might figure that if Ghostland Observatory hadn't made good on their "next big thing" talk already, it sure wasn't gonna happen now. Of course, it doesn't hurt that kind of armchair quarterbacking that Codename: Rondo is pretty much the same terrible album they've made three times already, only with fewer industry rubberneckers to cheer it on.
Ghostland Observatory are sometimes said to be "simple" or "fun" and thus necessary in the overly stuffy world of indie rock. This overlooks that most of the other acts that Ghostland immediately conjure (Daft Punk, Hot Chip, Scissor Sisters, even George Michael balladry on "Mama") have already proven more than capable of mainstream consumption without a first-gen ringtone version of itself existing. The problem isn't that Ghostland Observatory seem like unserious people, it's that the same flippant attitude infects their musicianship. Codename: Rondo sounds like two people doing the least amount of work possible before something can be considered a "song." If you're the type who enjoys watching 35 straight minutes of College Humor clips, Codename: Rondo might be up your alley. Everyone else will just hear 10 songs that fail as both pop and humor.
Unlikely to be heard in any hockey arena, a tinny rendering of the "Rock'N'Roll Part 2" beat pops up on "Glitter" (get it?) and is overtaken by Aaron Behrens' parody roadhouse blues wail filtered through a malfunctioning modem. If you can't get enough Speak & Spell vocal effects, "That's Right" and "Body Shop" (which is not about cars!) are there for you. If you're awfully generous, you can view "Give Me the Beat" as a straight-faced anti-drug/materialism, pro-"the beat" PSA, but did it have to be delivered in a "jive-turkey" cadence? And if you're someone who heard "Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell" and fucking hated it, then I feel like you did after experiencing this album's title track-- which didn't deserve the multiple listens it took to figure out the joke. That's just the first half. If you make it to the end, you're rewarded with a return to blog house ("Kick Clap Speaker") where the squatters haven't taken out the trash in a decade.
Look, I understand it's a party even if I don't want to crash it, and if someone gets drunk or laid to Codename: Rondo, Ghostland Observatory's job is done. And if you willfully misread Insane Clown Posse's 2010 close-up, you can assume the lesson is that keeping the faith in the face of critical beatdowns will ultimately be rewarded. But Ghostland Observatory aren't functioning in opposition to anything. In lieu of actual hits, the mere belief in the mock-populism of this stuff has led to mainstream opportunities at big-time festivals and late night TV where they proved way out of their depth. Ghostland Observatory can't leave this crap alone, and the game doesn't need them.
