Of Montreal (again)

Ah, there's no better time to be alive than when Of Montreal is in season. The sun is out, the flowers are blooming and there's a buzz of activity in the air. You can almost smell the excitement in the air. No? Ok so I may be talking rubbish, but a new album by the band has me swept up in Of Montreal fever.

Gallery Piece
Skeletal Lamping is due for release in under month and sadly, early impressions aren't good. I've listened through more than enough times, but I'm not feeling anything. It reminds me of 2005's The Sunlandic Twins. Barring the occasional standout, that album lacked the quality I had come to expect and these days I barely acknowledge it. Hopefully this album doesn't go down the same road. Gallery Piece is the first song to grab me so far. I'm wary of posting it in isolation though, because much of its strength comes from its contrast to previous songs. It certainly gets my attention when it kicks in, but on it's own, it might just seem annoying. Consider that a disclaimer.

Eros' Entropic Tundra
Even if it does turn out that Of Montreal release albums on good-bad cycle, we at least have two things to be happy about. Firstly, the NEXT new album will be absolutely brilliant (even if it is a tad early to get excited). And secondly, we still have the old albums to enjoy. This song comes from 2004's Satanic Panic In The Attic, which remains my favourite album to this day. This is the first Of Montreal song I ever loved and also has some similarity to the above song, by flaunting the delicate line between annoying and heavenly.

Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse
At least with Of Montreal I have an excuse for not remembering the track names. Thanks goes to my housemate for bringing this song, off 2007's Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?, back into the spotlight. The moment when that beat drops is so powerful, so euphoric, that it's impossbile not to get swept up.

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