of Montreal
UR FUN
(Polyvinyl)
4.5/5
UR FUN is the 16th studio album from Athens, Georgia’s of Montreal, the indie/pop band led by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Kevin Barnes. The album makes me want to laze in bed with a modern lover and sit in a discotheque in slow motion.
First, Barnes pokes holes in your average Joe’s off-the-rack tweed suit before beckoning you on an ethereal cathedral synth parade. From there, the album drives with a kick that punches the listener in the face and then applies the concealer so they can keep listening.
Just when I’m tired of hearing another synth, Barnes throws in a fuzzed-out guitar riff that lets my feet touch the ground in an otherwise atmospheric album.
When not entranced by his lyrics, the bass and percussive intricacies—which have more layers than an English trifle—thrust the listener back into the heart of this album, a pop record with all the textures of Bowie’s wardrobe. It slaps.