Recently MGMT decided to stream their new album Congratulations in its entirety. I had heard “Flash Delirium” which was released before the rest of the album and, not knowing who it was at first, I was pretty impressed. I have to admit that I liked “Kids” and “Time to Pretend” from Oracular Spectacular, but they weren’t really anything to write home about. Not to mention that “Electric Feel” kinda sucks and after watching a few interviews with the band I had gained the impression that MGMT were just a pair of drug addled idiots. Much to my surprise and delight, however, Congratulations is a bold leap in a new direction. It really came out of left field. This album throws in the best aspects of 60’s psychedelia, a little dab of 70’s prog rock, a few Bowie-esque hooks, and blends them all together really well. It’s not exactly catchy, but none of the best albums are. Now, I’m not saying this is one of the best albums of the year, however, it is a really great stepping stone for MGMT to become somewhat of a musical staple. I’m excited to see where they go from here. It’s also really awesome that they are pissing off a lot of their fans by releasing this record. It’s always nice to see musicians do what they like at the expense of popularity. Long live integrity!

-Chance