Daughter of Cloud, the latest compilation album from Athens experimental band of Montreal is set to hit stores tomorrow. The album consists of 17 unreleased tracks with some dating back to 2007. The album’s opener “Our Love is Senile,” sounds like something recorded in between the well received Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer and False Priest, resembling tracks like “Enemy Gene” or “Sex Karma” which also happen to be personal favorites. Even the album’s second track “Obviousatonicnuncio” sounds like something that may have been recorded around the False Priest era noticing the synth and catchy guitar riffs that are apparent on many of of Montreal’s later albums.
Overall it’s pretty hard to pinpoint exactly when each track was recorded, yet the album delivers a diverse mix of songs from of Montreal, showing the bands ability to change. “Georgies Lament” continues with a sexual theme and somewhat bizarre lyrics that Barnes is often known for, then placed on top of a playful rhythm that seems to work fairly well. I have to say that, I am probably a bit biased due to my love for of Montreal, but even some of the songs are a bit to heavy and chaotic for me. “Sails, Hermaphroditic” starts off with a heavy guitar riff eventually transitioning into an overload of highs and lows crammed into one song. “Steppin’ Out” is another track that is too experimental for my liking with a voice overlay and too many effects for one song. Without hatin’ too much, two unfavorable songs out of 17 isn’t bad, considering both of those songs have serious potential if they had a little more direction.
The album shows what Barnes is truly capable of with some of the best tracks like “Feminine Effects” a softer piano driven ballad featuring Rebecca Cash on vocals. The following song ,”Tendar Fax” is another favorable one thrown into the mix that sounds pre-Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer, being less experimental more rock and roll. “Pyschotic Feeling” a catchy pop song and “Noir Blues to Tinnitus” an instrumental driven track with minimal vocals, may just be two of the best songs on the album proving Barnes to be the gifted musician he is.
Overall, being a compilation album, I enjoy it quite a bit. Having a few expected lows, the album is mostly filled with highs consisting of a diverse amount of songs ranging from different time periods in of Montreal’s career. The album shows what Kevin Barnes is really capable of, which is really anything whether he experiments more or even less. And if we are lucky, maybe of Montreal will debut a few songs such as “Femine Effects” or “Psychotic Feeling” live this fall.
Daughter of Cloud Tracklisting:
1. “Our Love is Senile”
2. “Obviousatonicnuncio”
3. “Sails, Hermaphroditic”
4. “Steppin’ Out”
5. “Hindlopp Stat”
6. “Partizan Terminus”
7. “Georgie’s Lament”
8. “Jan Doesn’t Like It”
9. “Feminine Effects”
10. “Tender Fax”
11. “Psychotic Feeling”
12. “Alter Eagle”
13. “Kristiansand”
14. “Micro University”
15. “Subtext Read, Nothing New”
16. “Noir Blues to Tinnitus”
17. “Expecting to Fly” (Buffalo Springfield cover)
