Congratulations
Three years after their 2007 debut, MGMT subtly reinvent themselves. *Congratulations* still bursts with color, but the antic edges have been sanded down—well, save for the garage-rock freak-out of “Brian Eno,” a hyperactive tribute to the ambient icon. “It’s Working” crisply revamps Phil Spector’s wall of sound; “Song for Dan Treacy” plays nimble cat-and-mouse with ‘60s organ and falsetto vocals. “Congratulations” wraps up with a wry take on the perils of stardom—the spiritual flip side to their debut’s fanciful “Time to Pretend.”
MGMT follow the surprise hit Oracular Spectacular by teaming with Spacemen 3's Sonic Boom for a leftfield psych-pop LP bereft of obvious singles.
A deep plunge into murky waters, MGMT’s follow-up to its breakout 2007 album, Oracular Spectacular, will turn away listeners expecting a string of soundtrack-friendly sort-of hits like “Kids” and “Time To Pretend.” That’s almost certainly by design, since nobody makes an album as dense and immersive as Congratulations…
After the smashing success of Oracular Spectacular, it was clear that MGMT were going to be at a bit of a crossroads when it came time to follow it up.
Career suicide, heinous art, and no regard for their fanbase. Those have been the three themes bandied about in early appraisals of Congratulations.
The album is a mildly interesting listen, but proves to be nothing less than a regression into ennui-drenched acid folk mimicry.
MGMT's second album offeres diamonds lurking amid the distractions, reckons <strong>Dave Simpson</strong>
MGMT's Congratulations sounds like a deliberate attempt to shake off casual listeners. Rating: * * *