Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?

After an impressive showing with 2004s Satanic Panic in the Attic and a jubilant follow-up in 2005s Sunlandic Twins, Of Montreal captain Kevin Barnes fell on some peculiar times. The birth of a daughter, alienation and depression in Norway, and subsequent separation from their wife and new child gave Barnes plenty to mull over, work out, and serve up on 2007s Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? At first glance, longtime Of Montreal followers might throw up their arms in dismay as Barnes moves well away from the usual slice-of-life character studies theyve made such good use of over the past few years -- no pop-challenged London cabbies or paranoid senior citizens on Hissing. No sir. In fact, its all about Barnes -- every stitch of it. Its Kevin Barnes trying to woo themself out of a deep funk (Suffer for Fashion, Sink the Seine, and especially Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse), lashing out (Shes a Rejecter), or taking a dip in the self-pity pool (the epic wallower The Past Is a Grotesque Animal is nearly 12 minutes of drone-dance affirmations). At first, its an alarming listening experience. Wheres the self-assured, polished pop maestro who made such a fine showing on the past two albums? They took one hell of a beating, thats for sure. The Kevin Barnes heard here has a bone to pick, issues to work out, and a big ol chip on their shoulder -- and, man, does it show. The music and production reflect this as much as the lyrical content. Barnes throws every trick in their book at every arrangement, lending every track a definite Ill show you!! vibe. And show they do. The explosive opener, Suffer for Fashion, exceeds every over-the-top anthem theyve ever penned in one 2:58 ejaculation, and the alternately swaggering and smooth Cato as a Pun melds a gutsy guitar riff with a gorgeously fussed-over verse. Production-wise, its quite an achievement -- the whole thing -- and, coupled with the bile and bitterness of the lyrics, makes for an exhausting experience in the headphones. There might be stray moments of whimsy, in the tunes and verse, but they are scant, and they hardly provide the lighthearted breathing room fans are used to receiving from the songwriter. Light is not a word useful in describing any portion of this excursion, and the serious tone of this record may cause some hand-wringing among even the dedicated. Its a challenging but ultimately rewarding album -- and one that definitely requires some thoughtful attention from the listener. Dont stow this one back on the shelf just yet -- its a grower. ~ J. Scott McClintock