of Montreal - "False Priest"

I felt the teeth of the hydra upon me. As though hit by a strong gust of wind while balancing on one foot, 'I Feel Ya Strutter' threatened to put me on the ground. In a miasma of sounds and textures with brash falsetto and smart melodies, I was taken aback. The production intense and musicianship tight, this song was a great introduction to of Montreal's False Priest.

After receiving this reviewing assignment, I loaded up my iPod and headed out of the office and down to my truck. I plugged my iPod into my car stereo and cranked it up. After three of four seconds of confusion, I turned it down. Then I turned it up again. Then I replayed the opening track. I scratched my head. I didn't know whether I was listening to Marc Bolan or David Bowie or Todd Rundgren or Andy Partridge. But after two or three listens it started coming together for me; of Montreal has masterfully assembled a sound from obvious and complimentary influences. I understood where it was originating from and began liking what I was hearing. With the falsetto and choked stuttering of the chorus, I found myself attempting to sing along (admittedly poorly, being that my falsetto is baritone). It was infectious. In mid-song, after an amazing homage to Ziggy Stardust, of Montreal broke down to a half-tempo bridge that would have fit perfectly on a Dukes of Stratosphear record. I was impressed.

But along with the early '70s glam boys, I suspected another influence and was subsequently pleased to find out that Jon Brion produced False Priest. With an arsenal of equipment as robust as Brion's and not forgetting his obsessive attention to detail, I'm sure he helped Kevin Barnes, and the other members of of Montreal achieve the sounds they could only imagine in their heads. I'm a huge fan of Brion's work with Fiona Apple (the unreleased version of Extraordinary Machine, (which I believe she aptly retitled Excruciating Machine, but I could be wrong) and saw that Brion and Barnes, the main creative force and frontman of of Montreal, worked well together. Very cool.

The second track, 'Crazy Girl' started off with a similar falsetto melody to 'I Feel Ya Strutter 'and could have been a reprise to the former track except, suddenly, it took a turn with a spoken word/rapping part which harkened back to the Nada Surf Popular days. The prose, candid and campy as well as a bit silly at times, worked for the song. The music reminded me of Billy Idol's 'Hot in the City'; it definitely had an '80s pop feel. It was fun and danceable. I still haven't gotten over the part where this crazy girl kills Barnes' beta fish by throwing it out the window. Being a beta fish owner and enthusiast, I'm pained. The song ended with a Eurythmics/Annie Lennox-type treatment. Neat.

'Coquet Coquette' really grabbed my attention. I honestly thought that Sloan somehow made it on to this album. I could have sworn that Jay Ferguson was singing. After a few listens I figured that the vocals were just sonically and linguistically similar. The sparse orchestration during the verses really made this piece shine. Dynamics are something that seems to elude a lot of the newer acts but not of Montreal, at least on this album. This may be due to in part by Brion's production and I also suspect Brion played the drums on this one as well. The bombastic drumming, counter-rhythms and triplets are signatures of Jon Brion. This track I thought was the strongest on the album.

So at this part of my ride home from work I started skipping around the album. I was listening to about thirty seconds of each song and skipping ahead to the next. I decided I had to listen to more. I found False Priest intriguing. At this point though, I was pulling into my driveway and it was time for some vittles.

I revisited the album after dinner and started again from the beginning. It was as interesting as the first few times in the car. I knew there was something good here. I've found that albums that stay in my collection the longest are ones that are well-written enough to be interesting every time I listen. I began thinking False Priest could very well end up in the permanent rotation category.

I paused right before 'Godly Intersex', went out and had a smoke and then returned. The vocals were very interesting. I very much enjoyed the chromatic descent during the choruses donning a Ben Folds sharpness. Is everything heavy underground? Could I deal with more quirky falsetto? I thought so. The vocals tended to maintain a very slick and deliberate style throughout the album. I was thinking a more organic vocal approach might be a little more honest but it was still working for me and with some of the synth sounds, I suspect Barnes may have seen a Pylon show or two.

Ah, my prayers were answered! of Montreal brought a much more organic approach vocally to 'Enemy Gene'. It was a strong, '80s New Wave ditty with good melodies and hooks throughout as well as authentic sci-fi lyrics referencing the rebirth of the human species as Homo Luminous. I'm down with the Mayan prophecy. I really am. Jonelle Monae's vocals are perfect for this one. "How can I trust my fractious hear knowing I have the enemy gene?" I like that line. I don't know why. Perhaps it's the use of the word "fractious".

Enter The Spinners. 'Hydra Fancies' presented a new spin on the early '70s pop soul of The Spinners, Eddie Holman, The Stylistics, and the like. It's a great melding of decades. The refrains "I just love to see you win" and "I'll throw down my guns for you" could have been lifted right from any of the referenced giants and fit perfectly with this Stan Ridgeway-type synth arrangement. Thumbs up for this one!

'Like a Tourist': Very '80s New Wave. Duran Duran/EMF/Pet Shop Boys.

'Sex Karma' has some very interesting melodic twists and chord changes. There's some church in there too! Solange Knowles (Beyonce's sister) and Kevin Barnes engage in a buoyant duet that I can imagine myself dancing to, had I ever danced in the late '80s and early '90s in the city. I don't dance, but I can pretend. I've drunk in dancing places before. I've seen it. Solange retorts, "I know that you want to swing/run and touch my everything/cause I look like a playground to you, player" to Kevin's pleadings for sexual feng shui. This song has a lot of Prince in it. Another winner.

I didn't think they'd be able to fit the Chili Peppers in there, but they do. 'Girl Named Hello' is a driving jam with dry, funky guitar scraping through a heavy bass groove. The interwoven, tangled, dry guitar parts remind me of something John Frusciante would have played. Perhaps if John Taylor, Andy Taylor and John Frusciante got together to write a song in 1991, this would have been it. "I did a line with a girl named Hello." Was that her name?

'Famine Affair' opens with a tight groove with dark anti-love theme and gives a nod to both Robert Smith and Morrissey. "She said you're not boring I'm just bored with you." A sentiment with which many can identify. "Go away, go away, go away, go away, you're a bad thing." Rawk! I'm donning my cardigan now.

The album continues on for three more tracks but I think you get the point. I've been inspired to break out some of the old records. Perhaps The Queen is Dead or The Head on the Door. False Priest is so filled with bits and pieces of great music from the past three decades and assembled ingeniously. Don't get me wrong; the music is very original in its approach to orchestration, instrumentation and most certainly the lyrics. This album is homage to some of my favorite artists/genres and brings new light upon past eras. There's a lot to hear on this album. I can tell I will be hearing new things even after the twentieth listen as the recording is deep with thoughtful arrangement, buried auditory gems, layers of vocals and textures. You will dig. Dig?

To summarize, this is a technically amazing album. The vocals are spot on and the instrumentation is very tight. The songs are lush with great hooks, twists and harmonies. Barnes took much care to ensure his vocals were slick and exactly where he thought they should be; they are, however, If there are any shortcomings of this album, I believe it may be slightly overproduced and vocally clinical. I wish I could hear what Barnes sounds like strumming an acoustic guitar and singing in the basement. The addition of Janelle Monae and Solange Knowles was heartening and lifted the album to a different plane right where it was needed. Having perfectly controlled vocals is great for many applications but for a few of the tracks, I think a more raw and organic approach may be valid; perhaps less layering and doubling of tracks. What some may find objectionable to this album are the myriad and overt influences proudly pronounced by Barnes and company. I feel these songs have craftily used the best hooks and melodies of their influences, but musical purists may object. Otherwise Barnes' songwriting is expert and the musicianship of of Montreal on the album is spot-on. Recommended.