Disco de of Montreal: “The Sunlandic Twins [Digipak]”

okay, I'm sure my review will hold no water/weight/whatever here, but this is probably the most fantastic album of 2005 and certainly my favorite of Of Montreal's. it has been literally stuck in my head/ears/cd player for over a month, and that's just special.

pee.ess. it makes me dance and I HATE DANCING... therefore if an album can make me enjoy dancing, it MUST be good.

For most other bands The Sunlandic Twins would be a great album, but for Of Montreal it is simply a good one. It does not quite live up to the promise and fulfillment of Satanic Panic In the Attic, nor does it delight and marvel as Of Montreal's epic pop masterpiece Coquelicot Asleep In the Poppies does. Nevertheless, The Sunlandic Twins is a singular effort, and not exactly like any of the other releases in the band's ever growing catalogue of pop gems. As with Satanic... Kevin Barnes is a one man band on this release, and he packs the Sunlandic Twins with enough sugar coated synthesized goodies to give any dentist cause for alarm. From the infectious breakdown in Forecast Fascist Future (May we never go, go mental. May we always stay, stay gentle) which will linger on your lips like a jumbo jawbreaker, to the surprising dark pop of Oslo In the Summertime, The Sunlandic Twins is one tasty treat.

Wraith Pinned to the Myst and What the hey who? where? That's Of Montreal, man, you never know what's going to happen. From song titles to chord changes to lyrical twists, this record will keep you on your toes and on the edge of your seat. You'll literally be balancing on your toes on the edge of your seat. Careful.

There's this beautiful energy on this album where it feels like the whole band is riding around on a fast motion kiddie-train. They have the friendly humour of The Kinks, the magical playground of Syd Barrett, the lyrical and melodical smiles of School for the Dead, the sound-scapes of Apples In Stereo, and the Beulah of Elf Power.

Have you seen the video for Wraith etc etc? Man, put on your headphones and close your eyes hard enough and you will.

I will keep short and sweet. This is their best album to date. It'll be hard to beat.

These guys must have had a lot of fun putting this album together and I can only wish I had been a fly on the wall during the recording sessions. All the songs are delightfully and originally arranged with twisted lyris cleaverly intertwined through infectious melodies. Listening to The Sunlandic Twins is a little bit like sitting in the middle of a giant revolving 360-degree kaleidoscope with new colors and new shapes jumping at you relentlessly to leave you dazed and smiling...