False Priest by of Montreal
LABEL: Polyvinyl

Kevin Barnes and company are back with another album full of arty, psychedelic tunes. This time out, they have employed the help of producer Jon Brion to bring us 13 over-the-top tracks that showcase an affinity for funk and soul music that mixes well with the band’s penchant for writing quirky pop tunes.

of Montreal is one of those bands that is not satisfied sitting still from album to album. Their sound changes and grows, exploring new territory. False Priest, their most recent release (out September 14, 2010 on Polyvinyl), positions them as a pop-funk band with falsetto vocals and thumping bass lines as the centerpieces for their brand of arty rock. There is still the usual layered production and complex songwriting that fans of the band have come to expect throughout the years, as well as a pronounced use of infectious melodies and catchy pop hooks placed liberally throughout. The songs fill a lot of space, but they don’t wander off schizophrenically as a lot of the tracks in 2008’s Skeletal Lamping did. Where Skeletal Lamping comes off as fractured and a seeming experiment in song form, False Priest is lean and solid with a clear trajectory from beginning to end.

“The bass has been playing an increasingly central role in recent of Montreal albums and this time out it is truly the driving force, the foundation to many of the songs.”

The songs on this release seem more apt to be used as singles, and “Coquet Coquette” has already popped up on Youtube with an official video as well as being featured on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. The song features a sparse verse with a driving bassline, moving into a chorus that explodes with timpani and the crunch of guitars. It is least like any of the other songs on False Priest but it’s most like previous of Montreal work. As stated before, this is not a band that is afraid to try new things. There’s a gradual and methodical evolution at work.

Several new elements were added in the post-production of this album. Percussion and strings were added and an all-around larger and cleaner sounding album are the result of Brion’s studio wizardry. The inclusion of Janelle Monáe’s voice on "Our Riotous Defects" and “Enemy Gene” and Solange Knowles’ on “Sex Karma” solidifies an authentically soulful vibe.

The album remains focused on the psych-funk aesthetic rather than exploring the Georgie Fruit alter-ego that first appeared on 2006’s fantastic Hissing Fauna, Are you the Destroyer? as Barnes continues to get his Ziggy Stardust on all over Skeletal Lamping. The bass has been playing an increasingly central role in recent of Montreal albums and this time out it is truly the driving force, the foundation to many of the songs. In addition to the ultra-funky bass lines is a slightly heavier dependence on synths that are layered throughout.

“I Feel Ya Strutter” is an energetic and funky dance tune that starts the album off on the right foot. Similar territory is covered on tracks like “Godly Intersex” with its trippy psych-rock verse and its grooving, multi-tracked vocals in the chorus. It’s amazing what Kevin Barnes can do with his voice from song to song. One second he is singing like Prince in a pitch perfect, ear piercing falsetto and the next he is growling in a husky tone, or sweetly duetting with Janelle Monáe on “Enemy Gene.” On “Sex Karma,” a duet with Solange Knowles, we’re treated to 4 minutes of funk-pop perfection. Knowles’ voice in the chorus works perfectly with Barnes’.

“All the music they are creating, combined with their live shows that are an ever evolving exercise in dadaism and political commentary really point to the fact that of Montreal is one of the most significant and creative acts around today.”

It’s not all funk and psychedelia. of Montreal branches out on tracks like “Famine Affair,” which sounds like it was lifted straight from a Cars album and give us our only chance to hear the guitars turned up all the way, driving us through a nice loud and straight ahead chorus. There is some strange lyrical content explored on “Like a Tourist“ with a chorus that reaches up to the stratosphere and also has some driving straight ahead rock tossed off for the verses. The end of the album features some of the most eclectic material. Still funky and bass driven “Around the Way” is a little bit darker than anything else here. The programming of tracks on the latter half of the album is similar to Skeletal Lamping in that it seems to be 2 or 3 songs stitched together. “You Do Mutilate?” truly ends the album on a strange note, but anyone familiar with the band’s previous work will not be surprised by this change.

False Priest is of Montreal’s best work to date. They continue to be one of the most exciting acts to follow in the indie scene and continue to grow in popularity. There’s no sign of stopping or even slowing down. Before the release of this album, they made an announcemnet regarding an EP, The Controller Sphere (whose title also comes from the same lyric in “Faberge Falls for Shuggie” from the "Hissing Fauna..." album, and was also considered as a title for this album) which will be released before the end of the year. All the music they are creating, combined with their live shows that are an ever evolving exercise in dadaism and political commentary really point to the fact that of Montreal is one of the most significant and creative acts around today.


REVIEWED BY ADAM SHANLEY
ADAM’S FAVORITE TRACKS: “I Feel Ya Strutter” • “Famine Affair” • “Enemy Gene”



FREE MP3: “Coquet Coquette” (right-click & save)