Of Montreal goes glam

By Jim Feighan
Senior Staff Writer
January 31, 2007

I tend to value bands that reinvent themselves over time. We all know that R.E.M., Red Hot Chili Peppers and Pearl Jam are iconic groups that will be respected for their classic albums, but their more recent records have hinted at a possible devolution, rather than a significant progression. That’s why I find comfort in Of Montreal: each of their albums is a checkpoint on a continuing expedition to achieve something greater. The latest staple of the Of Montreal catalog is the glam rock headtrip, Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?

Following the archetype of most indie albums, Hissing Fauna explores the thoughts, regrets and needs of the heartbroken singer, Kevin Barnes, as he contemplates how his forlorn relationship came to a rampant end. Barnes adds a partially-original twist to the album in which, during the 12-minute prog-rock loop “The Past is a Grotesque Animal,” Barnes transforms into his sinister alter-ego, Georgie Fruit, for the remainder of the album (Ziggy Stardust must be turning in his grave!).

Spanning 12 tracks, Hissing Fauna mixes genres and influences that range from mid ’80s Prince sex anthems, ’60s bubblegum pop, recent Franz Ferdinand guitar-driven songs and even all the way back to ’40s barbershop quartet harmonies. And yet, even with the wide assortment of influences, this is clearly a party album.

Songs like “Suffer for Fashion” and “Grolandic Edit” are catchy enough to have a first-time listener humming along with Barnes (or Georgie) by the end of them. Playful songs like “Faberge Falls for Shuggie” and “She’s A Rejector” mix Of Montreal’s sense of humor with the honest truth by incorporating blunt lyrics : “There’s the girl that left me bitter, I want to pay some other girl to just walk up to her and hit her…But I can’t.” And even though it sticks out like a sore thumb on the album, “Bunny Ain’t No Kind of Rider” seems to be the best example of Of Montreal’s past works, employing Beatles-esque guitar hooks and straightforward lyrics.

Overall, Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? proves that after releasing 10 albums since 1997, Of Montreal have yet to run out of ideas. And even though many miss the band’s primitive structuring of songs, primarily without electronic drums and synthesizers, it’s reassuring to hear them trying out new things, as opposed to the aforementioned bands who should realize that trying new things is risky but admirable.

feighanj1@lasalle.edu