Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

I had the misfortune of missing an Of Montreal show when they came through town a few months ago.  I recommended that my boyfriend go in my stead—and he, having not listened to the band, went to the show not knowing what to expect.  After the show, he was an immediate fan and I made him a mix CD of songs.  Upon listening to some of the band’s older material, he said that their energy and talent was much more apparent live.  However, the band’s latest album is sure to project that energy and talent without fail.

I remember the first Of Montreal song I heard, years ago.  Disconnect the Dots got some airplay on MTV2.  It was infectious electro-pop with a catchy bassline and a melody you just couldn’t shake from your head.  Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer, the Athens, Ga.-based band’s eighth studio album, still holds true to these elements, but on a grander scale.  This, in my opinion, is Of Montreal’s best record yet—a brilliant psychedelic, electronic, techno, disco-infused pop-rock mash-up.  For lack of a more concise description…

Of Montreal frontman Kevin Barnes has said the record was a concept album, showing a transformation in the midst of a break up.  The Past is a Grotesque Animal acts a transitioning phase between the first half of the album and the second half.  I enjoy Barnes’ bizarre lyrics, and all of the whimsy and the weirdness just work.  The vocals have a layered quality as well, and his vocal styling often times would be right at home on a BeeGees record.  Instrumentally, there is more experimentation, and it works well, giving the music a fuller sound.  Though the album is strong overall, a standout track to me was She’s a Rejecter.

Of Montreal fans won’t be disappointed by Hissing Fauna.  Even if you’re not a fan, this record is bound to make you dance.