The first time you hear Congratulations, you won’t like it. There’s no “Electric Feel,” no “Kids,” and you won’t hear this at a frat party. The lead single, “Flash Delirium,” doesn’t have a chorus, or verses for that matter. And the band even wrote a 12-minute-song about surfing in the Arctic Circle. But you’ve heard this already. What you may not have heard, though, is this: if you treat Congratulations with patience and an open-mind, the rapid chord shifts and structural changes of MGMT’s latest will take shape. And then you will probably like this album, and you may even love it.
That’s why Congratulations is so interesting. It’s an album that slowly grows on you. The band has forgone the addictive synth riffs and funk-injected electro-dance moments of their debut; instead they have focused on shocking contrasts and psychedelic mood pieces, all while rocking out harder than they ever did on Oracular Spectacular. Bursting forth with the delirious tenacity of Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd, MGMT spends half of Congratulations proving how many high points an album can have, and the other half proving how much texture they can lace into loose song structures. Tracks like “It’s Working” and “Brian Eno” are unrelentingly exciting, while “Siberian Breaks” and “Lady Dada’s Nightmare” develop a slow ambience. It’s on the closer, “Congratulations,” that MGMT truly find their strength, though: the band reflects on the shackles of success through the filter of smooth 1970s easy listening; a beautifully clear finish to a beautifully jumbled album.
2 Stars
