From the opening moments of the sublime “It’s Working” all the way to the titular closer, Congratulations is an incredible follow-up from a band that is still maturing into some unknown entity.
The new nine-song album blends psychedelia with elements of post-punk, surf rock and even folk.
MGMT plots a strange course for their listeners with Congratulations, but the material here often exceeds that of the band’s initial full-length.
In the absence of Oracular’s pulsing, dance-ready synth-pop, Congratulations takes its cues from the cosmic-charged psychedelia of that album’s latter half.
While the only ostensible reason for MGMT’s stylistic 180 is to seem less like a lightweight pop act, the songs on Oracular were far more engaging and better written than almost anything here.
#3 | / | MOJO |
#8 | / | Billboard |
#10 | / | Q Magazine |
#11 | / | American Songwriter |
#14 | / | Spinner |
#16 | / | The Needle Drop |
#19 | / | NME |
#20 | / | Spin |
#26 | / | Rhapsody SoundBoard |
#28 | / | DIY |