Of Montreal | Album Review

Story by Dylan Bliss 

| Published Sep 23, 2010

Kevin Barnes has been a very busy man. Barring several other side projects including collaborations with MGMT, Bright Eyes and production with Solange Knowles, “False Priest” marks the 10th studio album in 13 years from Of Montreal. With such a deep back catalog, deciding where to place the band’s current offering presents quite a challenge.
As always, Of Montreal pumps glammy grooves throughout, and this time around Barnes claims to run with some R&B influences.

“There's a lot of very dancey, very funky songs... We try to have these 'holy fuck' moments where you're really having your mind blown, especially if you're listening to it on headphones,” front man Kevin Barnes said of the album's sound while speaking with Pitchfork Media.
Of Montreal runs down a very particular vein with “False Priest.” It feels less like a mushroom trip at a fashion show, and more like glam-opera tipped with resentment. This album does a great job encapsulating their concert experience — unpredictable, bright and seemingly never-ending. Thirteen tracks is a whole lot of shoulder shrugging and air humping.

With some of the lighter, fun-time moments missing from this outing, coupled with the realization that Of Montreal may be on the way down the mountain, this album may come as a bit of a disappointment to the more involved and experienced fans. If this is your first time around with Of Montreal, press “Stop”, go back and do some research to find which one of their many albums fits you best. “False Priest” does not make the best first impression.