Paralytic Stalks
of Montreal
Open iTunes to preview, buy, and download music.
| Name | Artist | Time | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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1 |
Gelid Ascent | of Montreal | 4:09 | $1.29 | View In iTunes |
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2 |
Spiteful Intervention | of Montreal | 3:38 | $1.29 | View In iTunes |
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3 |
Dour Percentage | of Montreal | 4:34 | $1.29 | View In iTunes |
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4 |
We Will Commit Wolf Murder | of Montreal | 5:29 | $1.29 | View In iTunes |
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5 |
Malefic Dowery | of Montreal | 2:36 | $1.29 | View In iTunes |
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6 |
Ye, Renew the Plaintiff | of Montreal | 8:46 | $1.29 | View In iTunes |
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7 |
Wintered Debts | of Montreal | 7:36 | $1.29 | View In iTunes |
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8 |
Exorcismic Breeding Knife | of Montreal | 7:40 | $1.29 | View In iTunes |
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9 |
Authentic Pyrrhic Remission | of Montreal | 13:15 | Album Only | View In iTunes |
| Total: 9 Songs |
iTunes Review
You can regard Paralytic Stalks as an act of catharsis or an exercise in self-flagellation—there’s enough angst on Of Montreal’s latest opus to last a decade’s worth of albums. Paralytic Stalks is a gorgeous kaleidoscope of sonic textures, fusing dandified David Bowie–esque soul/pop with quirky psychedelia and expansive prog-rock. Barnes has long displayed both childlike playfulness and unhinged confession in his work. This time, the tension between his lyrics’ obsessive emotions and his music’s eccentric ambitions reaches new and dizzying heights. Torrents of anguished words are carried along by twitchy grooves, echoing pianos, and fluttering woodwinds in “We Will Commit Wolf Murder” and “Dour Percentage.” Whether he’s churning through the spacy funk of “Ye, Renew the Plaintiff” or luxuriating in the tropical tones of “Malefic Dowry,” Barnes keeps prodding and provoking listeners. The most extreme is “Authentic Pyrrhic Remission,” a 13-minute epic of jittery rhythms and shifting instrumental shards. It’s all heady, brilliant stuff, disturbing and exhilarating in equal measure.
Customer Reviews
Difficult, but a Masterpiece
After False Priest, I was ready for of Montreal to try something new, and Paralytic Stalks is yet another left turn for this band. The lyrics are dark and very personal, but it doesn't sound as intimate as Hissing Fauna or even as personality filled as the last couple of albums. While this might turn some people off, the album seems to be operating on a much higher plane than perhaps anything they've done before. From the soaring, epic opener, through the rocking Ye, Renew the Plaintiff (my favorite off the album), Paralytic Stalks is endlessly exciting and more artistically ambitious than anything Kevin Barnes has written to date.
I am sure the final couple of songs will be the problem many have with this album though. Exorcismic Breeding Knife is a dissonant collage, apparently inspired by Ives and Penderecki, and the last song has a long, often dissonant, string interlude. These songs must be listened to in the context of the full album to be appreciated, I think, and they work very well in context. Dour Percentage is an obvious single, but this album is really one cohesive artistic statement, and it is perhaps the most interesting and successful one of Montreal has made yet.
Dandy
Another great release from Kevin Barnes and co. I enjoy this album more than the vastly overrated hissing Fauna. Thanks, Kevin!
i hear dead people...
oh wait bowie is still with us.
Biography
Formed: Athens, GA
Genre: Rock
Years Active: '90s, '00s, '10s
Top Albums and Songs By of Montreal
- $9.99
- Genres: Rock, Music, Electronic, Alternative, Indie Rock, Pop, Pop/Rock, Psychedelic, Adult Alternative
- Released: Feb 07, 2012
- ℗ 2012 Polyvinyl Record Co.
