Following up from the success of their debut album, “Oracular Spectacularâ€, was always going to be a difficult task for the two-piece from band from New York but Ben Goldwasser and Andrew Van Wyngarden have tried to use this to their advantage. Wyngarden has described the album as “us trying to deal with all the craziness that’s been going on since our last album took off. Sometimes it just doesn’t feel natural.â€
Whilst MGMT’s first album wasn’t exactly poptastic, this is an even greater departure. “Oracular Spectacular†had the likes of “Kidsâ€, “Electric feel†and “Time To Pretend†to trouble the charts with but according to the band no singles will be released from Congratulations, instead the album will be a single offering, with the release date thought to be April 13th of this year.
“Flash Delirium†has been released as a free download as a taster for the album to follow and the varied reception to this track mirrors the nature of the band’s sound. I for one, appreciate the departure from “Oracular Spectacular†as I would have been some what disappointed had they taken the easy, straight route and cashed in on their new-found fame. They are not riding on their initial wave of success but instead staying true to their progressive roots and trying to create something else new and just as spectacular.
The album opens with “It’s Workingâ€, a track which is fresh and up-beat, setting the tone for the rest of the album whilst “Congratulations†is a beautifully fitting end to the album as it whisks you away to a dreamlike state with its slow beat and soothing tones. In between you have the challenging, yet likeable, “Flash Delirium†and “I Found A Whistle†and tracks that certainly compliment and feed off each other as the band’s ethos of an album rather than nine singles comes to the fore.
If any album is to be labeled a grower, “Congratulations†is surely it. The tracks lack the instantaneous nature showcased in their first album but the band will hope that this only serves to give the album some longevity, something which is somewhat of a rarity in today’s fast-paced music culture.
01. It’s Working (04.07) *
02. Song For Dan Treacy (04.09)
03. Someone’s Missing (02.30)
05. I Found A Whistle (03.40) *
06. Siberian Breaks (12.10)
07. Brian Eno (04.32)
08. Lady Dada’s Nightmare (04.31)