Call it the sophomore album curse, but I don't think so. I think we have something much deeper here folks. We have a band "trying" to out smart their fans. Think back to Radiohead, Kid A. I am sorry, but Radiohead didn't fool me either and neither is MGMT. I know when a band is refusing to write "good" tunes, and is hiding behind "artistic merit." I understand that a band and/or artist has the freedom to make the record they want to make, but I also think that if said bands release those albums in the first place, they'd still be playing the club circuit, so why kid yourselves? It is clear that MGMT is giving the listener a middle finger by the album artwork alone.
"Congratulations," is an experimental prog-rock opus of schizophrenic melody, and at times some melodies are good, they lead to nowhere, and off the cliff they go. The best songs on the album is the opening track "It's Working," and the two minute "Someone's Missing." I would put "Flash Delirium" as one of the better tunes of the lot, but its blatant melody thieving from Cindy Lauper's "Good Enough for Goonies," is there in every way, shape, and form...and no one steals from my Goonies!
We can only hope that better things are on the horizon for this band, but an Oracular Spectacular 2 will probably be null an void by then. I can already hear the influence of the first MGMT record on some of thier competition and it is clearly being taken to new strides.
The Score: 2 out of 10 bells
The Math: Flaming Lips Soft Bulletin x Oracular Spectacular - song structure = Congratulations
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