Anyway, this is going to be a review, but I'm not going to assign a numerical score. Maybe I'm 'not ready' to do that yet. Maybe I work with numbers all day long in my job as a market research professional, and find the very idea of assessing my enjoyment of or the quality and cultural significance of an album (or any work of art - book, movie, TV show) via a number to be offensive. Think that's a cop out? Go fuck yourself. I will express my honest opinion of an album in the form that I so choose.
MGMT's sophomore record Congratulations is my favorite record of the year...so far (It's July. There are records from of Montreal, Deerhunter, Panda Bear, and Arcade Fire on the way. This race is far from over.)
I won't waste too much time discussing what other people think about this album, but Congratulations has seen its fair share of negative reactions. It's hard to reconcile that fact with the joy I experience from this record. This wasn't what people were expecting after Oracular Spectacular. That's the best I can come up with. I have encountered others who absolutely love this album, like I do, so I know I'm not crazy.
MGMT's debut record Oracular Spectacular was a cool slice of electro pop. At least the singles were - "Time to Pretend", "Electric Feel", "Kids". Congratulations, on the other hand, is a psychedelic freak out, and it doesn't contain a single song comparable to any of those hit singles.
What is common between the two MGMT records? They both sound lush, alive, filled with energy. If you look past the singles at some of the other songs off of Oracular, the leap between albums doesn't seem so large. They did weird stuff on that record too. But this time, that's all you get.
I will now proceed track-by-track...
It's Working
This song starts the record off right. It's high energy. A wonderful backbeat is provided by the drums. The lyrics, as I interpret them, are about experiencing a feeling of love - that's doing the trick, it's working. But it's not really love. Maybe it's lust, maybe it's misguided affection. Maybe it IS love - on one side, but not the other. But whatever it is, it's working.
I love the way the chorus seems to feed into itself, in a cycle:
"It's working in the blood. But you know it's not the same as love. It's only in your mind, and not your heart. It's working in the blood..."
Song for Dan Treacy
Possibly my favorite song on the record. The title refers to the frontman for the band Television Personalities (I do not know that band). This is one of many references to other musicians on Congratulations.
What can I say? I dig the way this song weaves and bobs and careens off a cliff.
"Dan Treacy's smile leaves you trying to decide 'who's the victim, what's the crime?' No rest for the mind that's seen it all before."
Someone's Missing
This one starts off slow. Some sort of Middle Eastern instrument playing, along with keyboards. 1 minute and 45 seconds in, the song explodes, with passionate delivery of "It feels like...someone's missing" repeated over & over. There are people missing in my life right now, people who should be here, and that void is deeply felt. This song captures those feelings. At 2 minutes and 30 seconds, it's incredibly short. Just as quickly as the song explodes, it fades away.
Flash Delirium
This is the masterpiece, the first song to be released from this album, confounding many. This song is all over the place, and I love it for that. Reminds me of an of Montreal song in certain ways (this is a good thing). Weird as fuck. During the verses, it's a got a beat that kinda reminds me of LCD Soundsystem's "Tribulations". Then you've got a spoken chorus part...followed by a flute solo. Then the track soars into the clouds, and never looks back.
Driving around blasting this song at full volume is pure ecstasy. The vocals really freak out at the end, kinda makes me imagine this is the song I'd listen to as I die, right before the end. Strange thought.
"Even if this heart collapses, I can stand on my pillar of hope it's just a case of flash delirium."
I Found A Whistle
Okay, we have a more straightforward, steady, not so weird song here. I've read somewhere that this could be a single, if MGMT were interested in singles anymore. That's probably true.
Siberian Breaks
Clocking over 12 minutes, it took me a little while to love this track. It took me a little while to love the album in general, but I warmed up to this last. I'd like to think I have a fair amount of patience, but 12 minutes is a major investment.
The song doesn't even build, really. It merely drifts along. But that is its charm. It's a journey, it's a road trip. After repeated listens, I drift along with it. That is the purpose of this song.
"There is no reason, there are no secrets to decode. If you can't save it, leave it dying on the road. Wide open arms can feel so cold".
Brian Eno
After 12 minutes of drifting, it's time for a more hard hitting rocker, and "Brian Eno" delivers.
"We're always one step behind him, he's Brian Eno."
Lady Dada's Nightmare
This is an instrumental only track. I can see (hear?) how it's supposed to represent a nightmare. At first it's dreamy and there are happy keys on the keyboard, but then there's rumbling and screaming, and torment. Not sure how often I'll listen to this track standalone when it comes up in shuffle, but it serves it's purpose in the album, as the bridge between "Brian Eno" and...
Congratulations
Perfect closer. To me, this song is about being chill. Riding chillwaves.
I absolutely adore this line:
"It's hardly sink or swim when all is well if the ticket sells".
All this worrying, all these concerns in life. What does it amount to? Don't even fucking sweat it. Just so long as the ticket sells, we're good.
There are also lyrics about the crazed existence of being in a successful indie buzzband, separated from 'reality' as we know it. And some lines about people giving things greater significance than they deserve.
A polite 'golf clap' and the album is over.
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