Of Montreal
Paralytic Stalks
3.5
ARTIST INFO
Dear Kevin Barnes,
We miss you. The joyful, psychedelic experimentalism of your songwriting on albums like "Aldhils Arboretum," "Satanic Panic in the Attic" and "The Sundandic Twins" seems so far away now. Back then, your band, Of Montreal, were this funky, weird, psych-glam act from Athens that'd roll into town and turn clubs into trippy dance parties.
Then came 2007's "Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?", and with it tons of praising press and new fans. Of Montreal graduated to bigger venues. You guys even got a T-Mobile commercial out of that one!
Then something changed. 2008's "Skeletal Lamping" seemed like it was phoned in. 2010's "False Priest" was just a hangover of bad pop ideas and your new one, "Paralytic Stalks," reaches back for your eccentric greatness but has absolutely no direction.
You're still experimenting, sure: "Gelid Ascent" feels like exhaling a heavy bong rip. Songs like "Spiteful Intervention" and "We Will Commit Wolf Murder" seem like they change pace and genre practically every 30 seconds... but for what reason besides artistic over-indulgence?
"Ye, Renew the Plaintiff" starts out with a promising beat, but then chases its tail for almost nine minutes, morphing into so many different structures you just stop caring. "Wintered Debts" begins with similar hope, then loses itself in complication somewhere between the country twang and the Beatles vocal harmonies.
These "songs" -- the final four of which are all over seven minutes -- are over-handled and overwrought.
The ethos of Of Montreal used to be simple: eclecticism, gender-bending, acid-taking, and marrying old rock ideals with modern electronic capabilities. It's not that there isn't any fun to be had with "Paralytic Stalks;" it's just you seem to be the only one having any, leaving us to search for it on our own within the deep sonic clutter.
If you're still trying to shrink your fanbase after "Hissing Fauna," it shouldn't be at the cost of the listener.
Sincerely,
BitCandy
"Gelid Ascent"
"Wintered Debts"
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