Of Montreal - Satanic Panic in the Attic review

In their usual prolific ways, Of Montreal has already released yet another album, The Sunlandic Twins, since I wrote the review for this one just a few months ago...

Of Montreal – Satanic Panic in the Attic (2004, Polyvinyl Records)


Of Montreal has come a long way from their more infantile, chaotic (but still amusing) early records, branching out on this record into more of a vaguely British-sounding psychedelic sound. There are still the ridiculous anecdotes like “Chrissie Kiss the Corpse” and simple childlike laments like on “Eros' Entropic Tundra” that frontman Kevin Barnes is well known for. But the maturity and complexity of the music itself has been ratcheted way up to give a very interesting dynamic. In a way, Barnes’ lyrics have often been very touching because they feel like what a kid too young to know how to be insincere or ironic would talk about love. But finally, the band has come together as a cohesive unit, able to pump out some great rock songs, especially on the last three tracks.