CONGRATULATIONS

When listening to MGMT’s difficult second album, it is no surprise that the album is produced by Spacemen 3’s Pete Kember (aka Sonic Boom). His experimental, showgaze sound (which most bands now seem to adopt) have taken their toll on the much-anticipated Congratulations. The album opener “It’s Working” sounds like Silver Apples covering Love’s “Alone Again Or”. Arthur Lee-esque vocals float on top of the song whilst their new obsession of English psychedelic Prog is evident throughout the album. The album explicitly reveals their influences in making the album, even the song-titles are dedicated to their hereos such as “Song For Dan Treacy” and “Brian Eno”. The former is a song for the Television Personalities frontman whose bands’ influence is evident in the album; the loopy bass lines which fill the album clearly give a nod to the Television Personalities. The Latter is a song of praise to Brian Eno, which reveals the influence Eno has had on the band and almost offers an explanation for the album: “when I was stuck he'd make me memorize elaborate curses/ tinctures and formulas to ditch the chori and flip the verses/ my whole foundation came unglued”. Although the teachings of Brian Eno may well have furthered their musical scope, they have forgotten the reason for their success and popularity: in writing pop songs over psychedelic sounds. Although another Oracular Spectacular, with no musical progression, would have been wrong, they have tried to escape from their former success but in turn losing what made them stand out from the hordes of similar bands from America. Whilst trying so hard to re-gain underground credit by returning to their weird college personas and making an uncommercial album to please themselves, it has made the album less exciting and it fails to ever really ignite.