False Priest

For the uninitiated, Of Montreal is essentially the wonderfully twisted vision of Kevin Barnes, undoubtedly one of modern music’s true innovators. A prolific songwriter, ‘False Priest’ marks long-player number ten for Athens, Georgia’s OM, a sizeable return in just over 12 years.
Relative to the expansive brilliance of such recent releases as ‘Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?’ & ‘Skeletal Lamping’, Barnes has significantly tamed his naturally psychedelic tendencies.
This time around, ace producer Jon Brion took the control and unsurprisingly, ‘False Priest’ is the most commercially presentable Of Montreal record to date...
Barnes’s recent r’n’b/funk phase is still at large and ‘False Priest’ certainly packs considerable dancefloor punch.
However, old habits die hard and OM are likely to remain more cult curiosity than major league draw.
Barnes’ preference for an outrageous falsetto and gonzo/sex-obsessed lyrical content (“If I treated someone else the way I treat myself/I’d be in jail”) will ensure he remains far beyond the limited taste barrier of the mainstream.
First single ‘Coquet Coquette’ is an undoubted highlight, combining a bombastic riff, reminiscent of early Santana, with a typically dramatic Barnes hook, while EP-bound Janelle Monáe guests on the silky smooth, classic pop of ‘Enemy Gene’.
In short, ‘False Priest’ is a fun trip, equal parts ridiculous and exciting, but always with a sense of humour...

KEY TRACK: ‘ENEMY GENE’