Acorn

Issue date: 10/3/08 Section: Life & Arts

Media Credit: ofmontreal.net Skeletal Lamping offers a variety of optional pack-ins available online, such as wall decals or a paper lantern.

In mid-October, indie rock will get freaky-like naughty freaky. See, I grew up on classic rock. If you had told me at age 16 that I would eventually be obsessed with a band infamously known for juxtaposing a carnival of disco-funk, 80s electronica, indie rock and 60s prog rock, I would have gagged and fainted.

However, this is how I can best describe the pastiche of musical elements that make up the band Of Montreal. Skeletal Lamping, the new album by Kevin Barnes, who writes all the material, will hit stores in October.

Of Montreal is known for its genre-bending qualities. Hissing Fauna, the band's previous and most successful album, mixed the styles of previously-mentioned musical genres and squeezed out a tightly wound album that documented Barnes' troubled love life, put to up-tempo power keyboard solos and killer chord progressions that kept on going like the energizer bunny.

The songs were connected, intertwined, and the track made up a borderline concept album that you could turn out the lights and dance to.

Skeletal Lamping trumps that-not one song is connected in musical style or lyrical theme, yet the album is one of the most cohesive musical experiences of 2008. There are no pauses between any of the tracks, just a constant flow of techno beats mixed with bright bubbling power chords and crisp vocals.

The opening track, "Nonpareil of Favor," has four parts that mesh together perfectly and keep you on your toes. It starts with a jumpy electric piano on harpsichord setting. Then bass drum comes in thumping, and with the lyrics, "My lover, I've been donating time to review / All the misinterpretations that define me and you."

The throbbing beat keeps going as electric guitar, bass, and the rest of the drum kit comes in to fill in the background. The song then jumps to a prolonged instrumental barrage with the guitar and bass drum before ending with a lucid-sounding dream state section.

"Elaurdian Instance" is a bouncing indie-rock recording with horn, piano and euphoric vocal harmonies blatantly influenced by the Beatles and thus my favorite track on the album. "Elaurdian Instance" gracefully represents the distracted beauty of Skeletal Lamping's concept-no one song sounds remotely similar, aside from being all by the same band.

What's more, not one song on the album betrays itself to the disappointing theme of monotony that is so commonly found in contemporary music.

Of Montreal isn't done being amazing yet. With this new album, they will be joining Radiohead and other bands that have decided to get on the alternative marketing band wagon. Instead of a standard jewel case, the new album will have seven different packing options, such as stickers, wall decals and Chinese lanterns, available online.

These different packages will serve a double purpose as interactive art that also contain download codes. Skeletal Lamping will hit stores on Oct. 17 and the special edition packages are now available for pre-sale on Polyvinyl Records' web site.

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