Album: Of Montreal, False Priest (Polyvinyl)

3.00

Reviewed by Andy Gill

Friday 10 September 2010

Kevin Barnes, who to all intents and purposes is Of Montreal, is not a man given to modesty of ambition.

Despite the tempering effect of an outside producer (Jon Brien) and the adoption of R&B stylings (including two guest vocals from genius diva Janelle Monáe), False Priest collapses like previous Of Montreal albums under the weight of excessive ideas and a lyrical approach that seems to regard meaning as a pointless brake on imagination. Tackling sexuality, theology and genetics, with typical references to "genetic telephonic pills" and "emotional artefacts that can find no purpose", the results have a mad-genius style that variously sounds like Bowie's glam-soul, Talking Heads' funk bustle, Scissor Sisters' falsetto camp and 10cc's clever-dick pop. But it's too tangled to get much purchase on.

DOWNLOAD THIS Girl Named Hello; Godly Intersex; Enemy Gene

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