Culture Blues

Music: “Congratulations” – MGMT

MGMT, pictured here in future clothes.

Follow-ups are just about the hardest records to deliver. In some cases, a band releases an incendiary album that catapults them to jealousy-inspiring heights of acclaim and is then crushed by the pressure of expectation. In other cases, a band's debut is so well received that they are forced to choose between evolution and appeasing the masses with debut 2.0. The way a group deals with this dilemma lined crossroad literally makes or breaks them; sometimes the band manages to deliver unequivocally (Aladdin Sane, OK. Computer, Lust For Life), and sometimes they commit artistic suicide (Be Here Now, Adore, The Spaghetti Incident). MGMT has the unenviable misfortune of being in both positions at once; not only was their last record loved by critics and hip-kids the world over, it also happend to be their debut. They now have to slay both dragons with one album, a feat that has been the ruin of many a wide-eyed musical dreamer/trender (Lady Gaga is next in line).

MGMT is/was (more on that later) a neo-psychedelic, synthpop duo that penned one of the catchiest most infectious songs of the last decade. Officially a two piece (they expand to as many as 6 for live performances), MGMT traces its roots back to Wesleyan University, where Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser met during their Freshman year and started a band, not so much out of urge as it was out of happenstance. They experimented with various genres and musical styles before settling on the newest incarnation of psychedelia that had been trail-blazed by bands like Spacemen-3, Olivia Tremor Control, and is currently being pushed to its limits by Animal Collective. After graduation they went out on the road with Of Montreal in order to promote their EP Time To Pretend; since that tour they have managed to sell a million records of their debut LP, open for everyone from Radiohead to fucking Paul McCartney, and build up an almost deafening buzz.

The anticipation for their follow-up has been massive; I personally know tons of people who have been waiting as patiently as one can without attention spans (thanks MTV) to blast the latest tripped-out, unforgettable, ass shaking, party jam... Well, they will have to wait for some other record.

If Congratulations was a debut record by some unknown band, I would be praising it till my fingers refused to type. It is artistically ambitious, daring, sophisticated, and dense; it also happens to be an Arcade Fire record. Okay, maybe that last statement was a bit of an exaggeration. Seriously, to say the band has revamped their sound would be an understatement of colossal proportions. The record kicks off with It's Working, and the sort of pentatonic guitar and bass unison lick which was nowhere to be found on Oracular Spectacular (complete with standard drum fills!!!), and, after the rather abrupt intro, unfolds with clavichords, harmonies, crickets and a song structure that you would expect from a band with the word indie in its genre description. There were no traditional dance/synth sounds anywhere to be found on the first track, and there was none of the gratifying catchiness either. Song for Dan Treacy comes up next with its surf-meets-postpunk (add a dash of psychobilly for good measure) mix, as obvious a throwback as it is an homage to the legendary Mr. Treacy. Does it work? Um... Sure, I guess. As the clatter of track two fades through my headphones, the mood shifts into a fashion that I dig a bit more (the ballads are far superior to the uptempo numbers). Someone's Missing floats in on the wings of delicate guitar chords and VanWyngarden's instantly recognizable falsetto; the verses are simple yet pleasant, the choruses don't detract from the tune, and once the snare drum starts to pitter patter into the mix (about the 1:37 mark) the song builds up some steam and then warps into an awesome 70's bump. The first half of the record ends with Flash Delirium (the first single off of Congratulations, read the video review here); this song is without question the best on the record. Its quirky time signature, Syd Barret-era Floyd leanings, distant choir, and tremendous production aesthetics make it the best representation of the bands new direction.

The second half of the record is where it starts to fray. I Found A Whistle is another great dreamy ballad; its blowing winds of stardust, singing theremin, and soft-wave tapestry panned hard left all make up for the cheesy stadium reverb-echoed drums in the latter fourth. Then there is Siberian Breaks... The song length may be intimidating to some (12:10), but runtime really isn't the issue here, the song simply meanders far too much. You can totally see the idea (think The Abbey Road Medley but without the genius), the band really goes for it, and some of the passages are lovely- it just is not more than the sum of its parts and lacks a fulfilling impact. The last three tunes all have their moments (Brian Eno has a great double chorus), and by the time you experience them you have already accepted the new direction so they are easier to digest. The record closes out with the obviously copped bass line from The Band's The Weight on the aptly titled Congratulations, another dreamy ballad that I think is meant to commend you for sanctioning their growth; it's cute, bubbly and only slightly perturbing.

The oddest part about this whole thing is, all in all, I liked this record. Once I let the shock of unfamiliarity pass and I let myself appreciate the record on its own merits, I found myself not really finding any faults with it. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't rave about this album, we aren't talking record of the year or anything, and as I mentioned earlier there is no single track on Congratulations that comes anywhere near MGMT's earlier hits, but it's not bad... All in all.