MGMT - Congratulations (plus tour dates)

MGMT's second full-length album, Congratulations, is coming out tomorrow and I have to say it really wasn't what I expected it to be. First off, I didn't feel as if there were any standout hits - no catchy hooks that gave them three dance floor smashes on their first album. Flash Delirium, the first single off this new album, is going to be the closest thing to a dance floor hit, and I think it will have to be remixed first because it's a bit slow to be danceable on its own. 

In fact, a lot of the songs are really downtempo and a few of them are downright weird. And whereas the last album had many influences from the '70s and '80s, this album seems to have more of a '60s influence. Of course, they still have a very electronic sound, but some of the chord progressions and harmonies are very reminiscent of classic oldies pop. In conclusion, the album was not what I expected but that's not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, I enjoy the album overall - my favorite tracks are the frenzied “Brian Eno” and the slower but dramatic “I Found a Whistle.”

They also recently announced their North American tour dates:

April 12            San Francisco, CA                   The Fillmore

April 13            San Francisco, CA                   The Fillmore

April 17            Indio, CA                                 Coachella

April 29            Toronto, ON                            The Mod Club Theatre

April 30            Durham, NH                            University of New Hamsphire

May 2              East Rutherford, NJ                  Meadowlands Sports Complex (Bamboozle)

May 28            San Luis Obispo, CA               Avila Beach Bowl

May 29            Santa Cruz, CA                        Santa Cruz Civic Center

June 1              Portland, OR                            Crystal Ballroom

June 2              Portland, OR                            Crystal Ballroom

June 4              Salt Lake City, UT                   In The Venue

June 6              Austin, TX                                Stubb’s Bar-B-Q

June 7              Houston, TX                            House of Blues

June 8              Dallas, TX                                House of Blues

June 11            Denver, CO                             Red Rocks

June 13            Kansas City, MO                     Uptown Theatre

June 14            Indianapolis, IN                        The Vogue

June 15            Columbus, OH                         LC Pavillion

June 16            Detroit, MI                               The Fillmore

June 18            Chicago, IL                              Riviera

June 20            Milwaukee, WI                        Riverside Theatre

August 8           Chicago, IL                              Lollapalooza