Its very possible to put the completion of a full length album before yourself - as a huge mountain to climb.
If that mountain is so big it: Prevents you from touring (because you "need the whole album") or somehow can be used as a easy excuse not to proceed with your career or project on other levels.. Then
pick a smaller mountain to climb! thumbsupthumbsupthumbsup
Think about it... ..If you spend 2 years on "forever tweaking" your album it might be VERY OUT OF DATE by the time you have finished it!
This especially applies to 'hipster', fast moving music trends. So if you are in a band that always has the latest hairstyle and fashions, spending forever on your album is suicide as by the time you are done the trend the music is part of will be 'yesterdays' music.
Watch out that your goals don't end up holding you back or become an excuse, preventing you from progressing..
I think anyone that has a full length album on their to do list needs to think carefully about this. Are you using it as an excuse to not do other things?
As for record deals, hipster bands often find that a little indie label can get the record out while the scene is hot and that signing to a major means that their album comes out 2 years later and "misses the bus".