MGMT - "CONGRATULATIONS"
EARLY REVIEW - OUT 4/13
Chances are, if you know anything about music, you are well aware of the current success of the New York based band MGMT. Consisting of only two members, Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden, they managed to create a wildly successful debut, Oracular Spectacular, and created themselves a nice niche next to Vampire Weekend in the huge mess that is "hype". The pressure must be excruciating.
With their debut, MGMT created something that was a bit boring at the end, sure, but shone with enough ambition and catchy wonder in such songs as "Kids" and "Electric Feel" that it was a constant brainstorm as to what they'd be doing next. And the answer is, they'd be getting a lot...weirder. And the result is just not as good. But that's not to say there aren't some great tracks on this record. MGMT are definitely a major talent that I predict will heavily bounce back after the somewhat downturn this album will lead to.
Chances are, if you know anything about music, you are well aware of the current success of the New York based band MGMT. Consisting of only two members, Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden, they managed to create a wildly successful debut, Oracular Spectacular, and created themselves a nice niche next to Vampire Weekend in the huge mess that is "hype". The pressure must be excruciating.
With their debut, MGMT created something that was a bit boring at the end, sure, but shone with enough ambition and catchy wonder in such songs as "Kids" and "Electric Feel" that it was a constant brainstorm as to what they'd be doing next. And the answer is, they'd be getting a lot...weirder. And the result is just not as good. But that's not to say there aren't some great tracks on this record. MGMT are definitely a major talent that I predict will heavily bounce back after the somewhat downturn this album will lead to.
The Breakdown:
1. It's Working - the good news is, the album starts off with a bang. Leaving no time for buildups or fade-in's, the boys kick off Congratulations with a splitting guitar riff and digitalized vocals that somewhat remind me of the second half of Spectacular's "Weekend Wars". The final half of the song is even better; it fluidly transforms into a repeating verse that sounds almost like an electrified version of a 70's TV theme. Congrats is so good...so far.
2. Song For Dan Treacy - another one of the best on the album, SFTD kicks off immediately with a light-headed dazzle of soft vocals and great tune. The song would be much better if it didn't have such an annoying chorus.
3. Someone's Missing - may be the high point of the album. The very short tune, clocking in at 2:29, fades in with VanWyngarden's soft vocals over a slow stoner-daze, while slowly building to to the explosion of a final minute of what sounds like a Michael Jackson record: a weird mix of pop/disco/electro-pop that will echo in your head for hours.
4. Flash Delerium - Second only to it's preceding track, Flash Delirium is true MGMT: weird, but not too weird, and catchy enough to be a great pop track. The song starts off weak but evolves into an electric buzz combining a plethora of instruments to create one bat-shit finale.
5. I Found A Whistle - aaaaand here's where things get bad. The insanely boring "I Found A Whistle" is the first track that will make you scratch your head. It may be the worst on the album, but you won't be totally let down yet, until you realize it's not the only weak track.
6. Siberian Breaks - when I heard MGMT was making a 12+ minute song, I was ecstatic. When epic songs are good, they're EPIC. But then there are epic songs that are duds. And unfortunately, oh so unfortunately, Siberian Breaks is one of those. It's not BAD, but it's not worth 12 minutes. The song starts off slow, and then picks up the pace - a great sign - but it never truly evolves out of it's slow overtone. So close...but it just doesn't work.
7. Brian Eno - maybe this song works as a good tribute, I don't know, I'm not a Brian Eno fan. But it doesn't work on this album. As with Siberian Breaks, it's definitely not BAD, but it's too messy and weird to really work fully. You won't be returning to this one multiple times.
8. Lady Dada's Nightmare - the band members reported in an interview that this song, completely instrumental, was about having sex with Lady Gaga. Sound weird? It is. Another weird and boring track that is even more weird and boring without lyrics, "Nightmare" is yet another misstep on this disappointing record.
9. Congratulations - finally we arrive at Congratulations, which is a very nice surprise - after 4 straight tracks of almost, we finally get a nice finale tune that isn't quite what you'd expect from MGMT, but hey, it works.
As the album comes to a close, it fades out with clapping, a neat touch to an album called Congratulations. Hopefully, with their third record, MGMT will have created a finely tuned pop record to be remembered for ages. They already show more promise then the French pop group Phoenix, and it wasn't until their classic "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix" that those guys were even very good. So while this is a bit of a letdown, don't cross MGMT of your list. They've got a bright future. Hopefully next time those final claps will be in praise of a tremendous success. But for now, they'll just have to say, "Good try guys. I'm sure you'll do better next time."
B-
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