★★★★
Of Montreal’sInnocence Reachesis a dance record for people who don’t like to dance, a collection of anthemic bangers crafted for you, the person who just read the phrase ‘anthemic bangers’ and involuntarily flinched away.
‘Innocence’ is the operative word. As ever, Of Montreal mastermind Kevin Barnes sings with a wide-eyed vulnerability. To say his songwriting is childlike would be wrong – after all a track like ‘Chaos Arpeggiating’ speaks of discomforts and disappointments largely disconnected from the world a child resides in.
It’s more that Barnes is a minimalist. He likes reduction – the excellent ‘It’s Different For Girls’ strips away the complexity of the gender debate and crunches it down into a series of touching sketches, deliberately making a very small drawing of a very big issue. Similarly, ‘Let’s Relate’ is all primary colours and brief snatches, and every time it seems as though Barnes is working himself up to a resolution, he abandons it and wanders off.
By its very nature, there’s nothing cohesive about Innocence Reaches. But who cares? It’s a glorious mess, one of the finest albums Of Montreal have turned in for years.
This is a polished slice of indie-pop, ready to have your heart swinging about the place like a disco ball.
Of Montreal’sInnocence Reachesis out now via Polyvinyl / Create/Control.
