of Montreal
“Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?”
POLYVINYL RECORDS
Yes, this is another album showcasing a 30-something’s bouts with depression. However, of Montreal’s “Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?” is no cliche album. A lover of irony, lead singer and prolific songwriter Kevin Barnes approaches his melancholic subject matter with the makings of infectious pop songs.
For fans of the 10-year-old band’s previous records, one of the most striking features of this album will be the lyrical content. Though the lyrics are still testaments to Barnes’ mastery of writing psychedelic, quotable one-liners, the content of his word art no longer focuses on imaginative stories ““ such as the outlandish ode to necrophilia in “Chrissie Kiss the Corpse” from 2004’s “Satanic Panic in the Attic.”
Instead, Barnes affirms this album as his most cohesive and autobiographical ever.
In “Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse,” Barnes pleads, “come on mood shift, shift back to good again.” The source of his unhappiness seems to be a chemical imbalance, but despite the depressing nature of the lyrics, Barnes’ vocal tone is more bouncy here than in the band’s Outback Steakhouse commercial-ready “Wraith Pinned to the Mist (And Other Games).”
Other artists with sadness on the mind tend to force you to accompany them in their misery. The sad, yet philanthropic songwriters attempt to give their audiences a musical means to feel less isolated in their heartbreak and other inflicted woes.
Barnes, on the other hand, provides his listeners ““ “party people dancing for the indie star” ““ the chance for cathartic cleansing.
Living up to its epic name’s source ““ Gronland (Danish for Greenland) is the largest island in the world ““ the track “Gronlandic Edit” is sure to be a staple at dance parties occurring post-Jan. 23 (the album’s release date).
Despite the depressing overtones in the lyrics ““ he touches upon nihilism, finding religion and God, anxiety, and general uncertainty about oneself ““ a kitschy keyboard beat and Barnes’ ability to harmonize a la Brian Wilson denies listeners the ability to wallow in Barnes’ discontent.
Nonetheless, the album is not all high points about Barnes’ low points. At about twelve minutes, the dark “The Past is a Grotesque Animal” is superfluous and uncharacteristic on this funky, disco-infused, partially glam-rock of Montreal album. While the song saves face with some telling lyrics drawing from literature and other obscure references, even Joanna Newsom would be able to make this song a bit less lengthy.
After this song, however, Barnes seems to make peace with the ugliness of his past. The falsettos in “Labyrinthian Pomp” can only belong to an elated man who has just gotten over his unhappiness. With Norwegian lyrics, references to the CCAA booty patrol, and a confident assertion of his own greatness in a voice eerily reminiscent of Prince, this song epitomizes of Montreal’s ability to create songs that are ridiculous and fun, but also intelligent and sincere.