No 'Congratulations' for you

For quite some time now, the boys of MGMT have masqueraded as young and restless hipsters, inspired by acid trips and romances with woodland nymphs. And ever since the duo released the blockbuster "Oracular Spectacular," we've given them the benefit of the doubt -ignoring the fact that they attended a selective private college and likely haven't spent as many days frolicking in the meadows as they might have us think.

On their sophomore effort, "Congratulations," MGMT's hipster facade has been exposed. It's not that "Congratulations" is a horrendous record. In fact, it's only slightly awful. The real problem is that the album bears absolutely no resemblance to the band that won our hearts over with songs like "Kids" and "Time To Pretend."

"Congratulations" opens with "It's Working," a strange title for a song that most certainly does not work. "It's Working" consists of roughly four minutes of gratuitous and unnecessary reverb that makes it sound as if Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden slipped as they were taking a hit and accidentally drowned themselves in a sea of acid.

Things don't get much better with "Flash Delirium," a song that was released before the album and got its own video but apparently isn't a single because the record is too good to have singles. To be fair, the band at least got the title right with this one: The song is an odd combination of musical styles and strange vocals that I could certainly see myself liking if I were hopped up on Tylenol, about to go under anesthesia at the dentist's office and pretending to be the little kid from "Where the Wild Things Are" - all at the same time.

One of the album's few highlights is "Lady Dada's Nightmare," a well-crafted instrumental piece that showcases Goldwasser and VanWyngarden's considerable musical skills. The duo abandons all the superfluous production effects that swamp the rest of the record and goes back to its roots, offering listeners a rare glimpse into the kind of composition that made "Oracular Spectacular" such a resounding success.

The album's title track, which closes out the record, is perhaps its best, as well as its most perplexing. "Congratulations" is a solid indie-rock song, and there's no doubt about that. The only problem is that MGMT is most decidedly not an indie-rock group. It's about as out of place on an MGMT record as Tom Cruise was on Oprah Winfrey's couch.

If you pick up "Congratulations" looking for a few catchy-as-hell party anthems in the vein of "Kids" or "Time To Pretend," save yourself the money and take a pass. That's not to say that the music isn't good - it's just not at all the MGMT that we've come to expect. Without the kinds of memorable hooks that helped propel songs like "Electric Feel" to the top of playlists everywhere, "Congratulations" struggles under the weight of its own supposed artistry. It's a concept album without a concept, and the kind of record that the average listener has a difficult time understanding. Make no mistake, MGMT is a talented band. But the only people who should be congratulated for this album are the listeners for making it all the way to the end.

2.5 paws

Pros: Album art is weirdly awesome.

Cons: Remember all those times you've drunkenly sung along to "Kids"? Well, treasure those moments, because there are definitely no party anthems here.

Download this: "Congratulations," "Lady Dada's Nightmare," "I Found a Whistle."