Kevin Barnes, who has made a career out of genre-hopping, throws a sonic curveball in perhaps his steepest departure yet. Not only is this an entirely new sound for of Montreal, but here Kevin is also heard stripping away his characteristically energetic songwriting, supplanting it with a largely lethargic fashion of songcraft. That word seems diminutive of the music, but on Lousy With Sylvianbriar, Barnes is at his most laid back ever. I do not think that being laid back is one of his strengths, but I do think he accomplishes his goal here.rI can only hope he does not further pursue the style found on songs such as Colossus and Raindrops In My Skull, as I think they are two of the most ordinary songs Barnes has ever crafted; a word I would never have previously used for any of his work. Apart from those two songs, it his hard to find a flaw in what are some of his strongest songs to date. The stomping 'Belle Glade Missionaries' and brooding 'Sirens of Your Toxic Spirit' make strong cases for my favorite song of the year.
3 Bumps | Bump |
