Of Montreal - Satanic Panic in the Attic

Elsewhere, Satanic Panic frequently leans closer to Steely Dan than the Beach Boys, which lends a refreshing dose of realism to the implicit reverie of songs like "My British Tour Diary". Elsewhere, "Eros' Entropic Tundra" and "Erroneous Escape into Eric Eckles" are both delicately refined, while still retaining Of Montreal's psychedelic salience. And while the music hits with somewhat of a blunted edge, Barnes' harmonies are always unimpeachably catchy.
My naysaying of Of Montreal's earlier work is only meant to underscore the impressive growth displayed here. While albums such as The Gay Parade and Coquelicot often drowned in oppressive amounts of cheerfulness, it's possible to take Satanic Panic seriously while still enjoying even its stickiest melodies. It may lack the raw inventiveness of a potential peer such as Olivia Tremor Control's Dusk at Cubist Castle, but Of Montreal are psych-pop of a different strain. Satanic Panic in the Attic is idiosyncratic without being hokey, and although the band has been stiffed recognition for the consistency of their previous work, this album should make the group much more difficult to ignore.



More at Pitchfork

Part 1
Part 2