Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?

With Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?, Kevin Barnes strides glowingly and gallantly into the annals of indie rock’s elite—a broken-hearted harlequin pandering to the dance-crazed masses as well as the bookish, dictionary-toting geeks, all while establishing himself as one of the most musically progressive and inventive songwriters of our era. Over the course of Polyvinyl Records output, Barnes has traded the bedroom Brian Wilson-aping sugar pop in favor of glammy theatrics and escapist fantasies, and this time the result is Of Montreal’s most consistently evocative and interesting record to date. Of Montreal’s eighth record overall finds Barnes winging it solo again, deploying all the effects and ballistic vocals himself. Delving into the emotional mechanics of the record’s existence would be tedious, so I’ll brief you as best I can: 2004’s The Sunlandic Twins was recorded in Barnes’ wife’s native Sweden; parts of Hissing Fauna were birthed there as well. At some point in 2005, the transition between Europe and Athens, GA led to a brief split between the couple, pitting family against art and saw Barnes spiraling into depression. Hence, the latest record is conceptual and divided, using the near-12 minute opus “The Past Is a Grotesque Animal” as its pivotal point. "Labrinthian Pomp" does Prince as well as The Artist ever has; "Faberge Falls For Shuggie" wouldn't be misplaced in the namesake's catalog--or maybe it has nothing to do with Shuggie Otis--but the song's funk borders on his psychedelic funk and Sly Stone, too. Glitzy electronics and sputtering drum machines become as natural a force as Barnes’ high-pitched croak on Hissing…, and he once again quests for a degree in obscure literary references and high-brow lexicon. Whether taking swipes at self-indulgent, here-to-be-seen indie snobs (on “Bunny Ain’t No Kind of Rider”) or exploring vices-turned-muses (in “Gronlandic Edit”), Barnes has emoted and emitted an album of epic proportions, baring as much of his soul as of his musical integrity and aptitude. While on the peak of popularity in a decade-long career, here comes a brazen move where the central artist makes a cerebral shift inwards, becoming more lyrically obscure while simultaneously embarking on new sonic routes. It may be lacking the romp and perceived innocence of past Of Montreal records, true, but it’s proof that Barnes’ wit and imagination only become closer companions when he’s sunk to his lowest depths. [www.polyvinylrecords.com]