Of Montreal upholds Athens tradition of great rock bands
Of Montreal Album Cover
Contrary to what their geographically confusing name would have you believe, Of Montreal are actually Georgia natives by way of Athens.
But before you completely write off this band, curb your well-conditioned UGA hatred for a minute and consider that Athens is a hotbed for critically acclaimed bands.
Perhaps more importantly, Athens is home base for Elephant 6, a historic music label and collective that shaped the sound of indie rock throughout the ' 90s.
Bands such as Neutral Milk Hotel, Olivia Tremor Control and Apples in Stereo epitomized the E6 sound, a stylized marriage of psych-pop & agrave; la the Beach Boys or the Beatles, with the do-it-yourself attitude and experimental aesthetic of underground rock. Of Montreal leads the second wave of bands to represent Elephant 6 amidst indie rock ' s current mainstream popularity.
Never much a stickler for quality control or restraint, prolific singer/guitarist Kevin Barnes formed Of Montreal in 1997 primarily for his own musical endeavors.
With a revolving door of supporting band members and a discography encompassing nine albums in eight years, if one thing can be said about Barnes it ' s that he is never musically complacent.
And so it comes as no surprise that The Icelandic Twins continues the sonic evolution of his band ' s last album, Satanic Panic in the Attic. The trademark indie-pop hooks and psychedelic absurdity are still plentiful, but this time around Barnes embraces new wave and electronica to produce a bastard-child pastiche that can only be described as kaleidoscopic.
Buoyant vocal harmonies float about spacious synthesizers while tweaked out pedal FX snake around electro-drum loops in this dense, operatic album. Unfortunately, the new wave style of songs such as " The Party ' s Crashing Us " may strike some listeners as kitschy gaucherie on the level of the Postal Service or the Rapture.
To their credit, Of Montreal pull off the sound better than most bands, but their strengths lay in Barnes ' ability to craft and orchestrate elaborate pop songs.
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of The Icelandic Twins is how accomplished Of Montreal sound at their most eclectic. The fluid baselines of " Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games " provide the foundation for Barnes ' own uniquely twisted version of Dub music.
Furthermore, Of Montreal prove that they ' ve got soul on funk-inflected tracks like " Forecast Fascist Future. " Simply put, Barnes and company have skillfully conceived another smorgasbord of musical styles that reveals something new and catchy with each time you listen.
