CD of The Week

Of Montreal's latest album, Lousy with Sylvianbriar, is a step back from the electro-funk that's dominated their work for the past decade. For some, that's welcome news. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about that, since I really liked that direction--hell, it's what hooked me on the band. (That, and their manic live shows.) On one hand, Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? is one of my favorite albums of the last decade.

On the other hand, Of Montreal's last studio album, Paralytic Stalks, was a stifling miasma of self-indulgence, more so than anything Kevin Barnes had done. So it's with no small measure of relief that I say Lousy with Sylvianbriar is a far cry from Paralytic Stalks. Barnes' lyrics are as dense as ever, but his sound seems to breathe more now that he's recording with others, as opposed to doing everything on his own. Musically, Lousy... is loose and shaggy, a work of engaging psychedelic folk.

Songs like "Obsidian Currents" and "Amphibian Days" have a strong sense of mood, while "Triumph of Disintegration" and "Imbecile Rages" cut loose with heavier guitar and Barnes' usual self-laceration. Overall, Lousy with Sylvianbriar is a lighter, more buoyant effort from Of Montreal than we've seen in years. If losing the funk is the price to pay for that, I suppose I'm fine with it. (Of Montreal will be appearing at Union Transferthis Friday, October 25th.)