One of the most anticipated CD releases of 2010 is set to drop in January. MGMT follow up their all conquering debut Oracular Spectacular with Congratulations which they are currently recording with Pete Kember from the seminal 80s early 90s band Spacemen 3 (who also featured Jason Pierce who went on to form Spiritualized). This partnership sounds like a match made in heaven and should show a progression, and possibly more experimental approach, from the debut CD.

The band have been previewing 4 new tracks in their recent live sets Congratulations, Its Working, Flash Delirium, and Song For Dan Treacy. Describing the album title, the band explained “It was more of a sarcastic congratulations. It just feels right. It’s funnier now. We had no idea what was going to happen with the first album in terms of success or radio play. You know, it’s been a crazy year so now it’s even more annoying that the second albums called congratulations.”

This is going to be a brilliant way to start 2010.

Tracklisting
1. It’s Working
2. Song for Dan Treacy
3. Someone’s Missing
4. Flash Delirium
5. I Found a Whistle
6. Siberian Breaks
7. Brian Eno
8. Lady Dada’s Nightmare
9. Congratulations

Professional Reviews
Rolling Stone (pp.63-64) – 3 stars out of 5 — “[The album] testifies to MGMT’s restlessness as songwriters and human beings….The set closes with the title track, a spangled folk rocker about the weight of success…”

Entertainment Weekly (p.70) – “[T]his odd little sonic onion ultimately rewards those patient enough to peel the layers.” — Grade: B

Billboard (p.32) – “[The] album blends psychedelia with elements of post-punk, surf rock and even folk. The track ‘Someone’s Missing’ begins sparsely with soft guitars and sitar-like effects that echo the falsetto vocals before swelling into an easygoing funk jam.”

Mojo (Publisher) (p.96) – 5 stars out of 5 — “[The album] explodes with the colour of British psychedelia and bulges at the seams with irresistible melodies….A weird, wonderful, complete work…”

Paste (magazine) (p.89) – “[I]n between enlightened ramblings, the band interjects a refrain that bursts forth brighter than a July sun and cues up psychedelic moments that wash ashore like the calmest of waves.”

Uncut (magazine) (p.87) – 4 stars out of 5 — “This is a willful and lovably eccentric second album from a band who’ve decided they’d had a sniff of being pop stars and decided they’d much rather be weird and esoteric, thanks all the same.”