[2] The album marks a departure from the synth-pop style that brought MGMT acclaim on their debut, Oracular Spectacular, released three years prior, and features a more psychedelic, progressive and guitar-driven sound.

They eventually headed to a Malibu studio to work on Congratulations, along with former Spacemen 3 member Peter Kember, known professionally as Sonic Boom.

[6] Speaking to Spin magazine on January 12, 2010, VanWyngarden declared that the album was finished, saying, "It's mixed and mastered, and now we're just working on presenting it to the world".

[15] Chicago Tribune critic Greg Kot called it an "impressive step up" from MGMT's debut Oracular Spectacular and wrote that the album sacrifices accessibility in favor of embracing "the duo's interests in waving the Barrett-era freak flag".

[26] Gregory Heaney of AllMusic felt that Congratulations "matches, if not triumphs over, their earlier work", concluding that while the band's "more dynamic approach to songwriting" results in a lack of obvious single choices, it nonetheless makes for "an all around better album.

"[16] Celina Murphy of Hot Press felt that MGMT "have achieved what they set out to do and you have to admire them for risking their successful hides for a walk on the psychedelic side.

"[27] Spin's Charles Aaron wrote that "despite being haunted by the group’s flip from rock-star charade to reality, Congratulations still brims with mischievous energy.

"[19] Scott Plagenhoef of Pitchfork deemed Congratulations "audacious, ambitious, and a little fried", writing that several songs contain "a surplus of ideas when a few good ones would have done... the less cluttered and more focused their tracks are, the better they turn out.