Of Montreal: Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
If Of Montreal's back catalog is anywhere near the quality of Hissing Fauna, I've got a lot of catching up to do.
In the Fall of 2002, a friend lent me Of Montreal's Adhilis Arboretum. It spent a few weeks on my heavy rotation, but the novelty quickly wore off. Sure, it was catchy and pleasant enough, but I suppose I was more interested in music that I perceived went a little bit deeper. All I heard were plain pop songs, sugar-coated in psychedelic whimsy. Listening to it gave my teeth cavities. Anyway, I enjoyed the plentiful three-minute pop diddies, dismissed the Georgia-based band as "Doing Nothing," and haven't listened to them again— until now.
I'm not sure what exactly compelled me to pick up their new album in the first place. Maybe it was the beautiful cover art. Perhaps it was the album's strange but intriguing title. Or maybe something in my subconscious just really wanted to give Of Montreal another shot. But, when I listened to Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? for the first time, I couldn't believe my ears. This album is more focused, polished, mature, and ambitious than anything else I've heard from the group.
Since when did these guys become such proficient songwriters? Where did these colorful and imaginative arrangements come from? What propelled the group to create music with such artistic vision? And now, after listening to the album for the 50th time, I am starting to wonder if it was there all along. I'm also wondering what else I have been missing over the ten years that Of Montreal has been in existence.
If the band's back catalog is anywhere near the quality of Hissing Fauna, I've a lot of catching up to do.
The variety of moods and styles on this record is staggering, considering the band's mastery of the material. The dark "Cato As A Pun" chronicles frontman Kevin Barnes' bout with depression, which was no doubt inspired by his recent separation from his wife. The song is noteworthy simply due to its minor key (which is a bit of a rare occurrence for Of Montreal), but it doesn't seem outside of the band's comfort zone.
The recounting of Barnes' struggle continues with "Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse," has he battles with drug dependence. Musically, the song seems to mock our narrator's misery, much in the way that Belle And Sebastian often accompanies their somber stories with a cheerful pop tune.
Equally heartbreaking is the outrageously catchy "A Sentence Of Sorts In Kongsvinger," a song that will have you giddy and dancing in your chair until you listen to the lyrics.
The diversity continues with the Beck-ish "Faberge Falls For Shuggie," which is just about the funkiest song I've heard from an indie rock band, and the danceable "She's A Rejecter," in which we find Barnes downright angst-ridden.
Finally, "We Were Born The Mutants Again With Leofling" arrives, with the ensemble's momentum flowing like a well-oiled machine. It's a strange way to end the album, because it feels like Of Montreal still has so much more to say. Here's hoping that their next effort picks up where this one left off.