MGMT
Congratulations

It may seem strange (but perhaps not), after the release of "Oracular Spectacular" in 2008, I hastily labeled MGMT as the typical use-and-throw singles band, "Time To Pretend," "Electric Feel," and especially "Kids" deluded me, and I decided not to delve into the MGMT chapter.

2010, "Congratulations" comes out, I look at the cover and think: "Here we go, another album for so-called sixteen-year-olds", but the first single is different from those of the previous album "Flash Delirium" is a psychedelic and schizophrenic song, truly a delirium; so I go to the record store and prepare to buy both "Congratulations" and "Oracular Spectacular", after some time in the store, the store owner asks me a question: "Did you like Oracular Spectacular?" and I: "Yes, beautiful, but Congratulations is definitely the best," I sense her astonishment, probably used to kids telling her "Time To Pretend is the best song of the century." Don't get me wrong, I like "Time To Pretend," but this "Congratulations" has an extra gear, misunderstood by many.

The album starts with "It's Working" and "Song For Dan Treacy", songs that echo the late 60s, early 70s Psychedelia, and so how not to mention the "Syd's Pink Floyd", after these 2 songs, it begins with its slow heaviness "Someone's Missing" with some oriental flavor, three quarters into the song, the slow fatigue turns into a joyful ride, then the already mentioned "Flash Delirium" returns, you can hear the best “David Bowie” with a return to the rampant Psychedelia (that decidedly dominates the album), the first part of the record closes with "I Found A Whistle" which sleeps quietly in its organ bed, it seems like a song directly from the first "Genesis" album, not too polished but still striking.

The first part of the album is finished, but the best is yet to come, "Siberian Breaks" is an ambitious mini-suite echoing "Metanoia", a single halfway between the release of "Oracular Spectacular" and this "Congratulations", this Suite is a union of 3 songs halfway between psychedelia and 70s progressive, that travels the mind above the clouds and beyond mountains and deep into the darkest ocean depths, (I would like to mention a passage at 8:20 minutes of this song that always excites me, transitioning from an almost boring expected closure to an attack that is not overwhelmingly aggressive but unexpected, which will subsequently reprise the motif from the beginning of the song); "Brian Eno" probably (in my opinion) is the only real flaw of the album, a schizophrenic piece, perhaps too much, that deviates from the psychedelia and acidity of the rest, "Lady Dada's Nightmare" is the only instrumental of the album, perhaps making fun of the Super Pop Star "Lady Gaga", going from a melodic piano song, to an acid sound wall shattered by muted yet meaningful screams, to then return to close like a slow death.

To close the album the "MGMT" chose a beautiful ballad, eponymous of the record, always winking at Pink Floyd.

In short, 44 minutes of music (the old-fashioned way) vinyl and 60s-70s music time like hasn't been heard for a long time; highly recommended to people who hated MGMT, from the first album. And highly recommended to those hordes of kids who fell in love with singles from the first album, perhaps by purchasing this "Congratulations" they might open a gateway to true music.