Of Montreal, "Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?"

Kevin Barnes becomes a glam-rock icon named Georgie Fruit on this record, or so he claims. Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? has been described by Barnes as a conceptual project for just this reason, but no matter how many cultural references he might make in his lyrics I don't keep coming back for them, nor do I find them particularly appealing. Of Montreal's latest record is enjoyable because it's catchy, not because there's anything special about Barnes' brand of peculiarity.

 

Polyvinyl
 
Satanic Panic in the Attic begins with "Disconnect the Dots," one hell of a catchy opening number: its appeal is immediate and the lyrics, delivered as strongly as they are, are almost impossible to forget. Barnes nearly outdoes himself on his newest album with "Suffer for Fashion," an opening song so strong that it is followed by a wimpy minute-long song that serves more as a transition into "Cato as a Pun" than anything else. Had these two songs sat next to each other, it might've been a pop overload almost too sweet for even the most ardent fans of sugary goodness to enjoy. Of Montreal can churn out memorable melodies with ease and it's almost no surprise that Hissing Fauna is filled from beginning to end with them. Despite that fact, it is somehow less satisfying than Satanic Panic in the Attic and I think it must have something to do with Barnes and this whole "conceptual record" business.

The band's bizarre stage presence and storied past seem to be catching up with them: it is as though they've decided their unique and almost always entertaining take on pop isn't enough to keep them afloat anymore and so they've decided they need something extra, something special. Everyone has heard stories about their live performances and it isn't difficult to surmise that Barnes is a pretty unique character, but it's as though those facts have stifled the song writing process, interrupted the band's natural creative efforts, and replaced them with bits of kitsch that simply aren't as enduring. The previously mentioned songs on this album are fantastic, up to par with the group's past efforts, and brimming over with catchy hooks, none of which rely on simplicity or dumbed-down performances. On the other hand songs like "Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse" and "A Sentence of Sorts in Kongsvinger" sound flat, the verses existing only so that the chorus can come into play and get stuck in people's heads. They're fun to listen to, but become old very quickly, even with their brief durations. I get the feeling it must be because Barnes wanted everything on this album to fit together nice and tight, part of some greater idea that never becomes explicitly clear on the record. I don't care who Georgie Fruit is and I can't imagine why anyone else would: the thrust and groove of "The Past is a Grotesque Animal" is far more interesting and a bigger virtue to the record than any imaginary transformation that might be taking place throughout the record (if one takes some liberties with the lyrics).

Once all the flash and awe associated with the word "conceptual" seeps away from the record, Hissing Fauna... shows itself to be a flawed record with moments of brilliance. Beyond the previously mentioned tunes, "Labyrinthian Pomp" and "Faberge Falls for Shuggie" showcase Barnes' ability to play with genres and to twist them into a pop framework successfully. This tendency in his writing, to take influence from anywhere whatsoever and to use those influences well, is unique enough to make Of Montreal a great band. Keeping that in mind, all this extra fluff surrounding this record and Barnes' recent internet activity merely detracts from that fact. I will be happy when all the attention the band has been getting passes: perhaps then Of Montreal will return to their songs and give them all the attention they need. As it stands they're wasting it in unnecessary ways and their art is suffering for it.

samples:

• Suffer for Fashion
• Cato as a Pun
• Labyrinthian Pomp