Of Montreal - False Priest

Of Montreal (or should I say Kevin Barnes?) does it again--this time with their 10th release, False Priest.

Once again, the band reaches new and uncharted levels of blissful gaudiness laced with narration, uncontrollable emotions, and traces of funk and R&B. This time, Janelle Monae and Solange Knowles accompany Barnes on this sex-driven almost-magic carpet ride, succumbing to crazy, spiteful girls who throw beta fish out of windows and grappling with religiosity the whole way through. Monae and Knowles duel with Barnes' ringing falsettos, but the entire album remains very much, without a doubt, 100% The Kevin Barnes Show.

False Priest only retains some of the chaotic, experimental elements that overstuff Skeletal Lamping, yet manages to keep listeners wondering what they will hear next. Give "Godly Intersex" a try and you will understand. Any inhibitions or boundaries around lyrics, emotions, and sound were chucked out with the beta fish, resulting in layers upon layers of mind-scrambling noises (if you think too hard about it, like I do) that somehow fall right into place.

This time around, Of Montreal lets out not-so-subtle hints of "natural" instrumentation in the background music. Between Barnes' crooning, his falsettos, and the one-sided conversations he has lie real instruments, each producing its own distinct sound to contribute to the greater good. Listen--but not too closely, so as not to get lost following one path--and you could catch a gritty guitar, some soft strumming, or what might as well be your neighbor banging away at his upright piano.

Jon Brion, an acclaimed musician and composer (he has the scores to Magnolia, Punch-Drunk Love, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and I Heart Huckabees, among others, under his belt), produced the album.


False Priest is scheduled for release on September 14, 2010, by Polyvinyl Records.
Stream it for free on NPR.