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Mar 07, 2018 Web Exclusive By Michael Watkins

Of all of the subjects in modern day society to write an album about, the political discourse of the last 18 months has been one of the most fruitful. Artists on both sides of the political aisle—mostly on the left, but some on the right as well—have had pieces to say about the increasing popularity of right wing politics in the western world since 2016. As with the growth of distrust for the political classes, the growth of media distrust has also been a feature of the last few years, especially amidst stories of easily manipulated social media feeds and big money interests in the news industry. Both of these are big inspirations to Kevin Barnes in writing his new of Montreal studio album, and once again, they have proven to be topics on which endless songs can be produced.

All six tracks here are split into two parts and, as with the album title itself, are split by a forward dash in the middle. This allows Barnes the opportunity to extend these cuts to six, seven, sometimes even eight minutes, but without feeling bloated or unnecessarily lengthy. Highlights from the record include the squelching, quirky, driving funk of “Paranoiac Intervals/Body Dysmorphia” and the less uptight and more fluid “Plateau Phase/No Careerism No Corruption,” the main feature of this track being Barnes’ enigmatic vocal performance. These are songs that drive towards a singular vision—mistrust of the framework through which many of us are forced to view our lives and culture and the awakening that this mistrust leads to. Barnes has a once again solid outing under the of Montreal moniker on an album that is as quirky as it is seamless. (www.ofmontreal.net)

Author rating: 7.5/10