Of Montreal Tries R&B/Funk

Of Montreal has been a staple in the indie music world for the greater part of the last decade --and around for even longer than that-- and this summer brings the release of their tenth studio album, False Priest. Of Montreal has always been known for their marked experimental style of music and apart from some features from some mainstream R&B/pop singers, False Priest is no different.

If you're a fan of Of Montreal then be sure to get False Priest, as it brings enough of the classically zany style from lead singer Kevin Barnes. False Priest does stand uniquely amongst Of Montreal's wide library. This time around Of Montreal drops the schizophrenic style of 2008's Skeletal Lamping where each song essentially contained multiple songs, thanks to constantly changing beats and hooks all throughout the album. That shift back towards a slightly more coherent style makes False Priest easier to follow. However, after giving False Priest a handful of listens I believe that Skeletal Lamping actually had more catchy hooks spread across the album (unfortunately on Skeletal Lamping so many of those catchy hooks only lasted for part of any one song). Additionally, False Priest has a bit more of a funk feel to it, with Kevin Barnes himself stating that he aimed for some more danceable and R&B influenced songs. Consistent with this claimed R&B influence, the album features R&B singers Janelle Monáe (twice), and Solange Knowles, but to be honest, their features aren't really all that apparent on the album, they just blend in as more back-up singers.

All in all, if you're not familiar with Of Montreal by now, definitely check out either False Priest or any one of their other nine full albums, they are sure to go down as one of the most well known indie/psychedelic bands and if you're on the fence about Of Montreal, check out the songs below and pick up False Priest when it hits stores on September 14th.