There are times when the act of reviewing an album is no different than screaming into a room void of people. Regardless of the fact that the action of projecting your big boy voice is real, there is no point in using your words both loudly and without compromise when at the end of the day, no one is going to hear what you have just said. Sometimes taking a stand simply has no meaning.

For example, explaining to the collective hipster nation that indie darlings and Internet poster children Of Montreal possesses as many fuck ups as fields in which they’ve mastered is a tasks as useless as they come. Since the band tends to be embraced by a following of fans quick to shun the mainstream and flock to anything that feels obscure, unstable and off the beaten path, Of Montreal’s lack of structure is often marked up as simply being different for different sake. At times I would swear I was listening to leftover sounds and parts of the last Flaming Lips album that were recycled from the cutting room floor. In the grand scheme of things, glitter, feathers and face paint trumps unparalleled note structure any day. Or at least, it does if you rock Ray-Ban Wayfarers and are enamored of all aspects of 80’s revivalism.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not writing Paralytic Stalks, Of Montreal’s 11th studio album off as a total waste. It honestly shines at times, laying the ground work for album of the year nods. For example, the albums second and third tracks “Spiteful Intervention” and “Dour Percentage” borrow riffs from my dusty old ELO records. The combo project Kevin Barnes at his best. With his voice cracking with every exclamation he makes, Barnes pinpoints the follies of humanity in a flawlessly dance friendly manner.

But, let’s not get to far ahead of ourselves. Barnes is no Jeff Lynne. Of Montreal tends to over complicate their creations, filling them with useless noises and distracting background clutter. “Ye, Renew the Plaintiff,” the album’s sixth cut, stands out to me as the banner waving representative for this flaw. Head strong and care free, the song’s drums suddenly just drop out of time, sending the song spinning around the listeners head annoyingly like gnats at a picnic. Surely this effect was taken in true Andy Kauffman form, intentionally directed at poking the buttons of the purchaser. Regardless, the end result seems to cause more perplexity than piece to a causal listener. While I’m sure the album was never intended to breach the mainstream market, at times it seems destined to intentionally bother the participant. To me, that’s unforgivable.

Long story short, fans of the band will find this album to be a throwback to 2007’s Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?. If that’s you’re thing, show (the great) Polyvinyl Records some love and give them your beer money. However, ff this is your first shot at Of Montreal, consider giving the band a stream on Spotify.

Score: 5/10
Review written by: Josh Hammond (Follow him on Twitter)