Indie rock vets Of Montreal are at it again with Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?, their seemingly 900th album. Coming as the follow-up to two outstanding releases, 2004’s Satanic Panic In The Attic, and 2005’s Sunlandic Twins, Hissing Fauna has a lot to live up to. Luckily for the Of Montreal faithful, main-man Kevin Barnes delivers what we’ve come to expect from the Athens, GA-based outfit – pop-inspired, experimental disco music filled with intellectual indie kid lyrics and a handful of surprises. While nothing on the album quite lives up to the magic of “Wraith Pinned To The Mist And Other Games,” from The Sundlandic Twins, Barnes comes close with “She’s A Rejector” and “Gronlandic Edit,” the latter of which could definitely get some asses shaking on the dance floor as-is, but could REALLY use a danced-out club banging remix. (Is there one already? If there is, send it to us!)
There are some other stand-out tracks as well. The nearly 12-minute-long driving epic “The Past Is A Grotesque Animal” somehow remains captivating throughout and falsetto-filled, old school funk-inspired “Faberge Falls For Shuggie” is fun as hell. While there may be a few down spots, Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? is, like most Of Montreal offerings, an album that will grow on you with each listen.
“Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse” MP3
