by: Sun-J
The Gay Parade had lo-fi flavor, The Bedside Drama: A Petite Tragedy had a plot, and last year's Satanic Panic In The Attic was a surprising blend of manic pop disco with an ear for world beats. Of Montreal mastermind Kevin Barnes returns with his 2005 release The Sunlandic Twins. The new album is a psychedelic pop journey filled with programmed beats and 80's dance influence.
The album opens with "Requiem For O.M.M.2," a big love pop song with bouncing electric guitars and a superior arrangement of instrumentation. The song is different from the rest of the album in that it uses actual drums. The lyrical side is vivid and lush, "I never stop wondering, wondering if you still think of us, I don't need a photograph, 'cause you never left my mind..." "I Was Never Young" picks up with programmed beats and a funky bass line which is later joined by cow bell and 60's style guitaring. The next track, "Wraith Pinned To The Mist (And Other Games)" is a true disco-pop number while "Forecast Fascist Future" sounds very similar to David Bowie's "Queen Bitch." "Our Spring Is Not Fleeting" is a unique interlude with gritty synthesizers before heading into "The Party's Crashing Us," a rollercoaster ride through electronic distortion and disconcerting lyrics, "Well I only feel alright when the view is flashing, alarms going off in my head." "Death Of A Shade of Hue" is a cut-and-paste collage of disjointed vocals while the final track, "The Repudiated Immortals" is a discomforting, depressive listen with a peculiarly enjoyable aftermath to its reflective message, "It's a violent world, but there's still beauty, I'll take care of you, if you take care of me."
If you are into Olivia Tremor Control or Neutral Milk Hotel you will love Of Montreal. I would start with last year's Satanic Panic In The Attic before transitioning into this album if you are a first time listener. Overall the album is enjoyable with the first half a bit more intriguing than the second; however, "The Repudiated Immortals" is one of the freshest songs I've heard this year.
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