Congratulations - MGMT

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by: Dom Zombie (United States)
on: Saturday, 30-October-2010

MGMT do it again with a satisfying step into their world. Though the album doesnt have any jump out single like the previous cd (Oracular Spectacular), the album itself flows smoothly. Each song brings a livelyness to a spectacular play that MGMT composes throughout the disc. After an up and down rollar coaster ride of music the listener can finally come down with the soft acoustics of the last track (Congradulations). A must have for any fans of Beck, THE BASTARDS OF APOCALYPSE, Animal Collective, Arcade Fire or THE FLAMMING LIPS.

For all those highrollers check out this cd and any of the bands listed above. My recomendations go out for them all.

by: Scott Rose (Los Angeles, CA USA)
on: Monday, 18-October-2010

You know, I didnt realize how many morons were out there until I started reading the reviews of this album.

If you know anything about good, quality, everlasting music -- and youre not just some uneducated punk who listens to the latest pop hits that are crammed down your throat on the radio) -- you would realize that this MGMT album is SOOOO MUCH INFINITELY BETTER than their first album.

This album is sooo much deeper, sooo much more intricate, sooo much more layered, sooo much more complex, sooo much more satisfying, sooo much more epic.

The songs on this album are incredible beyond words, and it even puts MGMTs first album to shame.

This album is, quite honestly, the best album of 2010.

It might take a few listens before you actually realize the genius of this album, but once it hits you, you will be blown away at what has been accomplished by this album.

by: ianoid (Chicagoland)
on: Thursday, 23-September-2010

Despite some searing reviews and an eclectic mix of tracks, Im enjoying Congratulations. There are some tracks I like quite a lot, and some I like less. If you like Oracular, this is still a worthy purchase. Just dont expect the consistent tone that record offers. I could pass on the rock oriented tracks like Don Treacy and Brian Eno, but then some folks like those most. I think they are fine tracks, and yeah, I think Eno is god, but I get a little bored with that track.

Ive heard some bad feedback about the live show, but I dont listen to music because Im a concert blowhard. I dont care if theyre incompetent Milli Vanillis. I think the music is awesome.

If you are like me and thought Oracular was fantastic, this is a fine follow-up, just dont expect that record all over again. And Im looking forward to the next release.

by: Mike (United States)
on: Monday, 20-September-2010

MGMT: Their last album was though to beat... and obviously stays unbeated after the coming out of their new Congratulations.

by: Mons (United States)
on: Friday, 10-September-2010

I dont write reviews, but I decided to write this review to defend MGMT and their album, Congratulations, which seems to get a lot of negative responses. I dont want these responses to put people off, because this album deserves to be given a chance by everybody.

First of all, you need to know that Oracular Spectacular and Congratulations are two extremely different albums. You will not see songs similar to Kids and Time to Pretend in Congratulations, but dont let that put you off. Personally, I think that Flash Delirium from Congratulations is MGMTs best song so far. And another quality that is found in Congratulations and not Oracular Spectacular is a comprehensive song, Siberian Breaks, which runs around 12 minutes. It is like a mix of many different songs put together. There is also Lady Dadas Nightmare which is a piece of music.

The album opens with Its Working. Andrew VanWyngarden (lead guitarist, and lead vocalist of MGMT) once said in a interview that Its Working is his favorite track off the album. Its Working is a fast track with interesting lyrics. It is the perfect opening for this album. After that comes Song For Dan Treacy, it complements Its Working, but stands on its own. The third track is Someones Missing which is short, fast, and mystical. You need to figure it what is missing. Next, comes my all-time favorite MGMT song, Flash Delirium. Flash Delirium is a complex songs, with lyrics that are well-fit with the music. I Found A Whistle is my least favorite, but it calms things down after the outburst at the end of Flash Delirium. At this point comes Siberian Breaks. Siberian Breaks needs patience. You need to listen to the song several times to understand why its put together the way it is. Or maybe there is no reason, who knows? Ultimately, it is an incredible song. If you were bored by Siberian Breaks or fascinated by it, then be assured that the following track, Brain Eno, is a complete pay-off. Ben Goldwasser (keyboard, and vocalist of MGMT) once said in an interview that this is his favorite track from this album. Brain Eno mixes MGMTs rock with a slight Jazz solo halfway through the song. Lady Dadas Nightmare comes after Brain Eno. Now, Lady Dadas Nightmare is not the kind of song that you will listen to it over and over again. It is numinous and disturbing. It draws dark images in my head whenever I listen to it. It is truly a remarkable achievement. Congratulations, the title track, is the concluding song. It is soothing and comforting. It is truly the perfect conclusion to this album.

I found the album to be addicting. Not a day has passed without me listening to one of the tracks on the album. MGMT is the best modern band in my opinion. They are truly talented and creative. They are my escape from mainstream crap. I cant wait till their next album comes out. But for now, I will listen to Congratulations again and again.

Now, I have few points regarding the vinyl edition if some are wondering about it. There are two discs. The limited edition comes with a coupon that would enable you to download a free copy of Congratulations on your computer/laptop. There is a also a scratch off section on the cover, but I didnt scratch because I didnt want to ruin the cover.

Anyway, if you loved Oracular Spectacular, then give Congratulations a chance. But if you are unfamiliar with MGMT, I recommend you start with Oracular Spectacular. In the end, they are both great albums that deserve to be on your shelf/iPod.

by: The Headphone Transmissions (USA)
on: Monday, 23-August-2010

If you dont enjoy this album, you dont have an educated taste in music. Sorry to be blunt, but its true- Plain and simple.

It took me three consecutive listens to appreciate this wonderful modern masterpiece. Give it your open mind, full attention and your patience, and it will pay off immensely.

This is one of the best records of 2010 so far, no question. If you enjoy any form of melodic, psychedelic pop/rock, Congratulations will blow you away.

I mean, Godforbid, the worst thing that could happen is that you might LIKE it. OH NO! HOW HORRIBLE!

by: Aaron Hermann (round lake ,illinios)
on: Monday, 16-August-2010

Just gotta say that when I first heard Flash delirium on the radio, my head blew apart !! I couldnt believe that it was the same band that did Electric feel Then I heard the song Brian Eno and that was it...I had to check this out. Listening to the disc I was surprised at a psychedelic feast. Lots of reverb makes the music float around. Not a fan of all the songs but in my opinion Flash delirium is worth the price of the whole disc! And any band that writes about Brian Eno deserves my respect. The insert also shows and EMS vcs3 synthesizer like the one Eno played in Roxy music. Cool stuff....

by: K. C. Win (San Francisco, CA, USA)
on: Saturday, 14-August-2010

It would annoy you immediate after you listen for the very first time.
What the hell is that?...........
Most people felt that, too.
Yeah, its very strange.

MGMT:A group of shy people, not entertainers.
Its music:A simple stock of all the waste.
So you just need a little bit of salt(patience and attention) to taste it.

Pay a little attention, be patient and find a quiet time to listen.
The more you listen the better you appreciate.

Do you really want be happy inside out?
Do you wanna recall your innocent childhood?
Are you fed up with your life and the people surround you?
This is the drug that you will ever need.

Congratulations is a rare and quality album that will last for many decades, and the young men Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser are truly genius.

by: J. Lowmiller (Chandler, Arizona USA)
on: Saturday, 14-August-2010

As an album, Congratulations is much more consistent then Oracular Spectacular, which makes me believe that the switch in style from their earlier singles is not an affectation at all. In fact, it seems that those singles themselves are actually the departure from the bands preferred style. When you consider the non-singles portion of Oracular Spectacular, which launches full force into psychedlic and surf material, it seems that Congratulations is a continuation of that musical idea.

That said, the album has its weaker moments. No matter how much I want to, for instance, I can never follow all the way through Siberian Breaks without losing interest. Its a shame, as this track takes up 12 minutes of the album.

I understand the accusation that MGMT has produced an album with no singles to flip the bird to the popular media, but I think the case is rather that they really did make the album they wanted to make. And I think it is a rich one, with content that will endure through repeat listening better than the previous.

Perhaps it was too soon in their career to try to pull something like this off, and there are some moments where it shows, but I have a feeling there will be great things to come from these guys, who are really starting to define their sound.

by: CD Critic (United States)
on: Friday, 13-August-2010

This album is a refining of MGMT direction as to how they want to define, shape, craft their sound and style. Oh, that last album how can you not love those lushes sounds that pierced through your ears. You heard a part European sounding, part American(from Brooklyn at that) sound that just titillated your ears as you listened.

So what happened on this one? Well,it seems MGMT wanted to be sure they stayed rooted as whom they are as an artist. So they stripped some of their experimental sounds to see if they can sharpen their standards.They mellowed out the songs so no grooving on any electric feels on here. Nothing wrong with that. However, they seemed to have forgotten that record companies like something from you in this process of defining who you are...profits.

I like the fact they wanted to have a collective album and not to have people choose a particular radio friendly single they may enjoy from their album. They forced people to listen to this album and let the deejays to choose what they like to play.Im all for artist being artist. Just choose when the time it is to do so. Carry the wave of incoming fans and give something the people want. You still created the song even if it is a radio friendly, a record company loving song.

MGMT gets a pass on this album because I believe they like trying different things with their sound and probably still unclear what sound or what kind of band they are just yet. I really believe they are quite a capable band who you should keep your eyes on.If your a fan feel free to buy the album no matter what MGMT came up with this time around. Youre just going have to see and accept that this album wasnt so......Spectacular.

by: Graciela G. (Los Angeles, CA)
on: Friday, 13-August-2010

To me, MGMT was always two bands trapped inside one. You can clearly hear this through Oracular Spectacular. On the one hand there is a band that likes to be upbeat and give you dancy tunes with a pop sensibility. Then theres the other half of the album, where the band gets into psychedelia and prog rock. Both of them are MGMT and both sounds are great and work well on their debut. Congratulations is an extension of the sound they explored on their first album but a more cohesive one. The sound was already there on songs like The Handshake. But based on some of the negative reviews, it may feel like it came from left field.

Im glad these guys put out the album they did because as a complete album from start to finish, it works very well. There is still some pop here (Song for Dan Treacy, Flash Delirium, Brian Eno) but its more in the vein of twee and 60s pop with an injection of psych. But its true, this album will take time to appreciate and love since the bulk is more subdued and slow. I cant blame fans for looking for another Kids or Electric Feel. Afterall, they set up that expectation with their first album. So you have to divorce yourself of those expectations and appreciate Congratulations for what it is, not bash it for what it isnt.

Maybe MGMT are even, on some level, acting as music curators on this album by exposing some of those fans that are just looking for the next dance hit to music they may not have heard otherwise. Maybe theyll seek out info on the music that influenced MGMT and find beauty in what Congrats pays homage to. Just maybe a new generation of people will discover Music for Airports and The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Just like Lady Gaga got her fans exploring The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.

by: veesquared (4th Dimension)
on: Sunday, 8-August-2010

This is my favorite album ever recorded.
That being said, I have only listened to it about 10 times because I never ever want to get tired or bored of it. I only bust it out during very special occasions. Congratulations makes me vomit, the way I imagine heroin would. Except I have never tried heroin. At least, not on purpose.

This one time I was in NYC with this beautiful redhead named Cheri and she asked if I wanted to go downtown.
I did not know that was slang for do heroin.
So of course I said yes cause I thought that just meant drive into Manhattan.

Next thing I know theres a bunch of beautiful pristine white powder on a mirror. Like a perfect day for snowboarding if I were on a mountain.
So I snort it all thinking its cocaine.
But no, its China White. And that is when I overdosed and could hear everyones thoughts in the room clear as a bell as I vomited out the window and was rushed around in a silver Durango. This is why I rarely listen to my favorite album ever recorded, Congratulations.

by: WalkinginLA (Los Angeles)
on: Tuesday, 3-August-2010

I love Siberian Breaks and Lady Dadas Nightmare, and I hope they continue to experiment with instrumental songs.

by: Jacob Beaudoin (United States)
on: Saturday, 31-July-2010

I love MGMT so this was hyper attractive to me. It comes with the collectors scratch off coin containing symbols pertaining to the last verses of Flash Delirium freakin cool. My only problem is I dont want to scratch off the Scratch-off cover cuz I find it looks so cool as it is. :P Oh, and I wouldve hoped for more pictures and cool stuff in the booklet, what there is is individual band member pictures and pics from around the mansion they recorded the album in.

by: ZenGardener (United States)
on: Thursday, 29-July-2010

The first time I heard MGMT was on Saturday Night Live. They played Flash Delirium and it sounded like complete noise to me. But something inside me took notice. They seemed intelligent, which is so painfully lacking in American music.

Then, a friend played Time To Pretend. It was pop magic. Then I heard the amazing groove of Electric Feel and the twisted satisfaction of Kids came after.

So, I bought Oracular Spectacular with the expectation that the poppy stuff was all I would like. But how wrong I was! The album was a psychedelic masterpiece.

But Congratulations? What were the chances Id like that? I think I bought it simply because I had such warm feelings about Oracular. And everyone was saying it was textbook sophomore slump. Oh well, Id give it a whirl. Well, a couple of whirls... hmmm... then a couple more.

Now Im so enamored with MGMT that I think theyre worthy successors to Pink Floyd or Led Zeppelin. And while were comparing, Id say Congratulations is their Tusk. It doesnt have a single, its quirky and bizarre and Im sometimes finding it hard to sleep because the songs on the album get stuck in my head and play over and over... including the amazing Flash Delirium. Congratulations is simply beautiful, and I like that they made us work a little harder to appreciate the genius of this one. Its well worth it.

by: Harkanwar Anand (New York, New York)
on: Tuesday, 6-July-2010

I liked the bands first album and wondered if they would go into a term I dont understand, sophomore slump. I think a sophomore slump is when a band comes out with a great debut cd but the second album just doesnt do the trick.
Well, in case of MGMTs Congratulations , I must admit I was pleasantly surprised and awed by how much the band has changed. You can say that the band is trying to be more minimalist and there arent many songs like we had on the first disc. The band tries hard to stay within context in this album and it worked like a charm I thought.

Like many formuliac albums this one can grow on an eager listener like me. I listen to MGMT all day nowadays. Sometimes I play this cd along with the debut cd and go for a workout session at the gym. While Oracular was a better disc, the band sees some impossible growth on their second disc.

Of the 9 tracks the cd has so far, Someones missing and Congratulations (last track) are my favourites.

I dont know what to make of Ladydanas nightmare , the sound is powerful but at the same time a little disturbing because you hear someone howl. Still, quite an unsettling track and I definitely would not recommend repeated listens to anyone because its just impossible to sit through.

I found a whistle and Brian Eno are some other forgettable tunes. Atleast for now.

Siberian Kick is a 12 minute song that seems to be the most fruitful produce of this cd. It sounds like the best of Pet Shop Boys and Tears for fears with floyd like vocals.

Song for Dan Traecy is a contemporary Strokes like song I can hardly get myself to listen to. For some reason beyond me, Flash Delirium is the most famous song on the disc, I dont understand why.

Now that I have heard their second cd, I respect MGMT a lot more than I did for their first disc. I also wish the band doesnt take until 2014 to produce their third disc.

by: chigs (Here There, and Everywhere)
on: Friday, 2-July-2010

For their second album, MGMT left the pop hooks behind for a sound that is reminiscent of a cross between a psychedelic surf album and a psychedelic cartoon show theme song. The album is noisier than its spacey, ethereal, predecessor Oracular Spectacular... evidenced by such songs as Song for Dan Treacy, which is a loud and fast conglomeration of words and instruments.

While the Catchy hooks are missed on this album, Congratulations is not without its creativity. One particular highlight is the masterpiece Siberian Breaks; a flowing suite which begins with a sparse acoustic guitar riff and gradually ends in sonic delight. Also, while the album lacks the sing-a-longs of MGMTs freshman effort, songs like Brian Eno and Flash delirium are sure to be stuck in the listeners head, as well as the albums poignant namesake song, Congratulations.

Congratulations is a great sophomore effort by a band with a future brighter than any currently making records. The missing link that is stopping MGMT from achieving legendary status is the happy medium between their two albums. If the band can find a way to record blast-off songs that INCLUDE catchy pop hooks (Beatles, anyone!) there is no limit to MGMTs potential.

by: Anthony Rector (California Central Coast)
on: Friday, 2-July-2010

The Congratulations album is an overall 4 out 5 stars, with some 5-star songs if you like the first album. Dont bother with the gimmicky special edition - I could not get my Mac OS X Snow Leopard computer to play the video (which is free at their website). It grows on you after the second listen! Definitely buy it.

by: joh (United States)
on: Friday, 25-June-2010

I really like the direction MGMT is going. Great album very different from their first but not diverging from their synth pop sounds. an A+ on this one

by: Rafah Alkhafaji (United States)
on: Saturday, 19-June-2010

This is a great band thats finally showing their colors as they evolve from a clever pop act into world class artists.

This Album is miles ahead of Oracular. It doesnt grab you by the neck and hook you the way the first album does, rather, it takes a subtler approach and proves it can take the long haul of multiple listens without getting boring.

It is a LASTING album which, in my opinion, is the most difficult concept for most artists to achieve.

Looking forward for the third album from these very bright young chaps!