Of Montreal brings more fun than ever with latest release

By Leslie Grajeda / Staff writer

If you want to be confronted with all forms of mental crises in a Cyndi Lauper fashion, Of Montreal’s “UR FUN” is worth multiple listen-throughs.

I had an instant, deep emotional attachment listening to “UR FUN” for the first time. The album evoked a sense of nostalgia and had me clinging to it faster than any other Of Montreal album has before. Hearing the sounds of my childhood, it was difficult for me to not immediately fall in love with this album. “UR FUN” was clearly inspired by the early 80s and 90s club music. It aims to have you get up, jump and dance around.

I rarely say that the first track of an album is my favorite, but “Peace to all Freaks” is such a strong opener that I can’t imagine any other song opening for the album. It’s inspired by current J-Pop and the rebellious tones of Cyndi Lauper, almost like an 80s pop version of Emo music. The track evoked such strong emotions that I feel compelled to embroider a bleached denim jacket with “Peace to all Freaks” on its back.

Another of my favorite tracks is “Carmillas of Love” because the sounds used are a throwback to the band’s older music. It’s trippy and transports you into a distorted sense of reality. I also love how the distorted and slow sounding beat can convey just how over a relationship the band’s leader Kevin Barnes is.

This album really is perfect for any sort of mood. The first few tracks almost trick you into thinking the whole album is upbeat and just mindless pop. But if you listen to the lyrics, it’s easy to realize that it’s a lot sadder than it sounds.

The only track that is overtly depressing is “Deliberate Self Harm Ha-Ha.” The track seems so abrupt when you first listen to the album but on your second listen, you can see the buildup. It reminds me of the phenomenon where you can suddenly go from manic to depressive seemingly overnight. Of Montreal’s lyrics tend to give the undertones of their mental health and I feel as if that’s the case with this album. For example, the track directly after “Deliberate Self Harm” is fast-paced and manic once again. “20th Century Schizofriendic Revengoid-Man” is a great way to end the album because it signifies the rollercoaster of living with these mental health disorders. This has the cycle starting all over again, only to repeat.

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