Georgia-based indie-pop veterans of Montreal can't be faulted for their productivity. Since forming in 1996 they've produced a steady output of albums and EPs, gaining popularity and acclaim within indie circles. Across their discography, founder Kevin Barnes has incorporated a wide amount of themes and ideas into their music. 2007's Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? was a concept album which partly documented Barnes' fictional transformation into his gender-bending alter ego Georgie Fruit. That album was flowing with creative energy, and though it was upbeat and camp, it also contained an unmistakable darkness within. Its follow up, Skeletal Lamping, continued this concept, placing Barnes' fictional character within a wild landscape which shifted its structure constantly. Within each track was a dozen other little songs and segments. It perhaps didn't match the immediacy of its predecessor, but it was still clear that the band had not run of ideas at that stage in their career.
Of Montreal's tenth LP False Priest is different both sonically and structurally from their previous couple of efforts, yet they're still undoubtedly the same band with the same ideals. The playfulness and the humour are both still present, yet the band are somewhat reserved here. The songs on False Priest are still catchy, though they're less windy and therefore easier to take in on first listen. This also means that they hold up less to repeated listens. Barnes' falsetto is played up straight from the opening song "I Feel Ya Strutter". He always had a knack for staying on the right side of irritating on previous albums, but since the songs on False Priest are more linear and less adventurous, one may have less time for him here. Lyrically, he parodies the overt sexuality associated with funk and R&B, which is fun at first, but the silliness can sometimes overstay its welcome.
The best tracks by far on False Priest are the ones with female vocals. Janelle Monáe appears on two tracks, and her delivery is smooth and sensual, particularly on the chorus of "Enemy Gene". She works well when she duets with Barnes, who in turn sounds more reserved, which works much more in his favour on this album. Solange Knowles also delivers an impressive, soulful performance on "Sex Karma". These guest spots are well sequenced and provide the necessary respite from the more tiresome moments on the album, where of Montreal can end up sounding a little flat. The fantastical characteristics of their earlier releases are kept to a minimum. This isn't totally a completely harmful move - the lead single "Coquete Coquette" is reasonably hooky with a solid riff, but that's about it - it's far removed from the band's best work. There's less of the flowery arrangements and more focus on live instruments overall, which makes everything less exciting. That darkness mentioned earlier is gone, spare a few lyrical sprinkles on "Godly Intersex". There's nothing here that can match "The Past is a Grotesque Animal" from Hissing Fauna, or even "No Conclusion" from its follow up EP, Icons, Abstract Thee.
of Montreal are probably due a detour like this every once in a while - they certainly sound like they're still having quite a lot of fun - it's just that sometimes this mood does not extend beyond the band's own little sphere. It's unclear whether or not the band will push further in this direction on future releases, but at least the band don't have intentions to stop releasing music any time soon - there are already plans to bookend this album with an EP titled The Controller Sphere, which is due for release in spring 2011. Until then, we'll just have to make do with feeling slightly underwhelmed.
"False Priest" will be released on 13/9/10 on Polyvinyl.
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