CD Review: Of Montreal

Paralytic Stalks (Polyvinyl)

Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 4:00 am

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Kevin Barnes is so damn freaky. After a dozen years and almost as many albums, he led his carnivalesque indie-pop group deep into funky R&B territory on 2010's False Priest, even enlisting Janelle Monáe and Beyoncé's little sister for help. On their 11th album, Paralytic Stalks, Of Montreal slip and slide in a number of directions until they crash somewhere in the middle of progville. The last four songs clock in at more than seven minutes each, with the closing "Authentic Pyrrhic Remission" hitting the 13-minute mark. From the start, Paralytic Stalks is building to this moment (the sonic freakout that launches opener "Gelid Ascent" is a tip-off of things to come). By the time the lyrically relentless Barnes leads his crew through the orchestral sound collage of "Wintered Debts," you're ready for any trip his spaced-out mind fancies. — Michael Gallucci