Of Montreal's "Aethermead": A Review of Kevin Barnes' Latest Musical Chapter
By
Ethan Beck
Crisp on the outside, thoughtful on the inside. A keeper.
Summary
A review of Of Montreal's album "Aethermead," examining the band's 30-year evolution under Kevin Barnes' creative direction. The article discusses how the band has shifted through various musical styles—from twee pop to funk to synth-pop—while Barnes has used the project to process personal turmoil, particularly the dissolution of his first marriage chronicled across multiple albums including the acclaimed "Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?" (2007) and "Aureate Gloom" (2015).
Key quotes
· 2 pulledFor 30 years now, Of Montreal has functioned less as a band and more as a vehicle for exploring Kevin Barnes' emotional whims.
Barnes chronicled the impasses in their first marriage across multiple albums: 2007's high-water-mark Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? took a kaleidoscopic approach to an early separation, while 2015's somber Aureate Gloom arrived after the couple's permanent split.
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