Article originally posted at 95.5 WBRU

Remember MGMT? No you don’t. You never really knew MGMT. Savvy?

If there is any sentiment to be excised from MGMT’s sophomore offering, Congratulations, then that’s it. And that’s fine. Any band is entitled to change their own persona and to mold themselves in the way they choose. And we as listeners are similarly entitled to move on to new frontiers if said identity crisis induced change crosses the subtle line between piquing our interest through its eccentricity and losing its sheen by wallowing in its own boorish attention seeking.

So has the band’s transition been constructive or has it been a net loss? In this respect, MGMT’s rebranding vaguely reminds me of a high school friend who, in dealing with her first heartbreak, dyed her hair, got her nose pierced, and was found ever more often with a cigarette in hand. Sure she’s might have made herself more ‘interesting’, but all of the sudden it seems like she’s flirting with a totally different crowd.

You’ll simply have to accept the new MGMT for what they are. They’re the band that goes to Coachella and refuses to play their biggest hit because they’ve moved on. They’re the pseudo-intellectuals who name a song ‘Lady Dada’s Nightmare’ because “…it’s really kind of messed up sounding, and we thought it would be funny…” They’re the phased post-success band that has achieved it all and has returned to report to the plebeian masses that it’s not actually all it’s cracked up to be.

All of that said, Congratulations is an enjoyable experience. The title track is an easygoing if sarcastic and self-deprecating melody with a hook more that satisfying enough to induce grooving. Brian Eno is a frantic anthem which holds your interest for long enough that the irritation it induces is but a backtrack and whilst Lady Dada’s Nightmare does verge towards being more of a haphazard noisy placeholder pre-empting the finale, the rest of the songs are amply listenable.

From any virgin band, Congratulations would be seen as the promising result of a nod to modern experimental, psychedelic and indie rock largely infused with the band’s own brand of personality. From MGMT, the album can be seen in much the same way, however in the wake of Oracular Spectacular and the Kids era, the listener is left with an uncomfortable insecurity in the authenticity of the band’s personality.