#27
of Montreal
"The Sunlandic Twins" (2005)
I will never understand why this album seems to be so criminally underappreciated. This, to me, is of Montreal's best pop album, and writing catchy pop songs is what Kevin Barnes does best.
"Requiem for OMM2" was the song that made me purchase this, and it may just be the best pop song Barnes ever wrote, and considering he's wrote such other gems as "Miniature Philosopher", "Penelope", and "Don't Ask Me to Explain", it's a remarkable feat. "I Was Never Young" is okay, but the next section of the album is brilliant. The one-two-three punch of "Wraith Pinned to the Mist" (aka the Outback Steakhouse song), "Forecast Fascist Future", and "So Begins our Alabee" knocks you on your feet before pushing you back down two tracks later with "The Party's Crashing Us". Granted nothing else on the album other than "Oslo In The Summertime" comes close to being as good as these songs, but it doesn't matter. Those six songs make this album my most listened to of Montreal album. As far as their electro-pop output, "Satanic Panic" is overhyped and too long, "Hissing Fuana" comes close but is dogged down by "Grotesque Animal", and I'm just starting to get into "Skeletal Lamping", which I wouldn't put in the same category as the three before it just because its not really a pop album at all.
And yet, this is considered their weakest of thir post-2003 output. Can someone please tell me why? I can't name another of Montreal album that has as many good songs, except maybe "The *** Parade", which hasn't held up nearly as well for me since Barnes' sound on this record is just-better. It baffles me daily, and all I really want is an explanation. If you're reading this and disagree, please tell me why it's inferior to their other albums, because I've never seen a good reason.
And while I'm at it, why did everyone all of a sudden jump on the of Montreal bandwagon when "Hissing Fuana" came out? I want to say because the second half is much more dancable, yet it was praised for it's pop songs. Don't get me wrong, it's the only album that comes close to this one, and I like it alot, I just don't understand how it appealed so much more to people than their other music. Oh well, I'm starting to ramble here, I think I'll just wrap it up.
88/100