Lousy with Sylvianbriar is steeped ankle-deep with Barnes’ academic non sequiturs, which swirl like psychotropic babble into and around a brook of warm, nostalgic rock tunes in perhaps the most organic recording of Barnes’ career.
Every once in a while, Kevin Barnes and company reinvent themselves and remind you why you loved them so much in the first place: because they’re shapeshifters.
Swapping out the sonic and mental clutter for a host of centered, unconfused rock tunes is a curveball move, for sure, but the end product is the most memorable, lasting, and relatable albums in Of Montreal's extensive catalog, and easily one of the best.
of Montreal's latest record sees the band stripping things back to some pretty base instrumentation, resulting in a sound that's pretty similar to the band's early work. However, Kevin Barnes proves he's still a pretty manic songwriter, consistently delivering wordy, witty, and intense lyrics in his trademark vocals.
of Montreal have created another genuinely exciting album, and it's brilliant to be able to maintain that with twelve albums already in the bag.
With Sylvianbriar, Barnes highlights himself as a lyrical poet, intelligently celebrating the era that inspired him.
While not reaching the flamboyant, glitter-dizzy heights of the band’s very best, it manages to be the band’s finest offering since the band’s 2006 crown jewel, Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
It’s still the dark, unsettling path of Montreal have always tread, but Lousy with Sylvianbriar is proof that the deepest scars are not always the ones you see on the surface.
All of the songs demand a listen and most of them are worth a repeat. While of Montreal aren’t exactly strutting 2007-style again, their tweaked, re-energized sound has them strutting nonetheless.
It’s arguably the best—not to mention the funniest, prickliest, most purple, and least fastidious—Of Montreal album since Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
Lousy with Sylvianbriar won’t ever be viewed as the quintessential Of Montreal album. But sourness aside, it’s the healthy sound of a restless spirit
At its simple hook-laden best it reminds you what an immediate and intuitive songwriter Kevin Barnes can be; at its worst it feels like little more than a diversion.
By producing an album without electronic stimulants, Kevin Barnes continues to explore fresh musical dimensions. And while it might not always pay off, Lousy With Svlvianbriar proves once again he has a songwriting consistency few can match.
Lousy With Sylvianbriar is a satisfying link in bringing Barnes’ musical progression full-circle, but at times he seems to forget what made him so good at this stuff the first time around.
While very much a far cry from the skits and glitter of earlier work, Lousy... is an analogue, uncluttered experience with a welcome lack of frills.
For all of its pitch-perfect evocation of the jangly British beat sounds coming out of Liverpool in the early '60s, Lousy with Sylvianbriar is perhaps Of Montreal's most lifeless album to date.
Time for the next of Montreal album.
And this time, it seems the style has been switched to Indie Rock
How good is it? It's quite decent
It's definitely not the greatest I've heard from this band
But it's pretty cool to see them trying out different styles
And of curse, just like with many other albums, there is some flaws here
Also that is a nice Motorcycle there
The cover art is pretty swag
First of Montreal album I've ever listened to and I actually think that the ideas and the exexution here is fantastic!
'Lousy with Sylvianbriar' is a return to form for of Montreal.
Staying away from the experimental sounds present on 'Paralytic Stalks', 'Lousy with Sylvianbriar' gives off a more laidback approach to their music and lets of Montreal tackle a new genre: indie rock.
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How well does of Montreal do indie rock, then? Really well, actually! They don't do it in a traditional way, however. For example, the track "sirens of your toxic spirit" is an indie rock song, yet it doesn't have ... read more
It’s strange to see of Montreal making an album that isn’t… strange—at least not in the way they’ve been known to until this point. This album may have a much more straightforward indie rock sound, but it’s far from a “sell out” record, and is packed with some great stuff.
Time for the next of Montreal album.
And this time, it seems the style has been switched to Indie Rock
How good is it? It's quite decent
It's definitely not the greatest I've heard from this band
But it's pretty cool to see them trying out different styles
And of curse, just like with many other albums, there is some flaws here
Also that is a nice Motorcycle there
The cover art is pretty swag
Listening to a new album every day: Day 45
This was certainly very different from any other OM album I’ve heard so far. Little to no synths iirc, kind of a country rock feel, and much slower and laid back than other OM albums. Overall it’s probably been my least favorite OM album so far. It had some really nice songs like She Ain’t Speakin’ Now and Sirens Of Your Toxic Spirit, but also some relatively boring ones like Amphibian Days. It would probably be best to listen ... read more
1 | Fugitive Air 4:13 | 84 |
2 | Obsidian Currents 3:54 | 78 |
3 | Belle Glade Missionaries 5:55 | 71 |
4 | Sirens of Your Toxic Spirit 4:06 | 74 |
5 | Colossus 3:36 | 70 |
6 | Triumph of Disintegration 4:12 | 86 |
7 | Amphibian Days 5:04 | 76 |
8 | She Ain't Speakin' Now 3:40 | 87 |
9 | Hegira Émigré 4:02 | 79 |
10 | Raindrop in My Skull 2:47 | 77 |
11 | Imbecile Rages 4:01 | 88 |
#26 | / | The Needle Drop |
#35 | / | Under the Radar |
#39 | / | Paste |