of Montreal’s Kevin Barnes is busy making the next oM album, and he plans to make it ten times funkier than even the funkiest moments of Skeletal Lamping.
Stereogum’s Jessica Suarez has asked the eccentric and productive of Montreal bandleader about the progress of the album, and he says pending a few upcoming sessions with producer/engineer/instrumentalist Jon Brion, the album “may or may not” be complete. “Whatever we do here, if it’s better, we’ll keep it. If it’s not, we won’t. It’s a win-win situation,” Barnes said, commenting on the record’s current state of completion. Either way, Barnes says that he aspires to aim for a ’70s sound and feel akin to the music of Stevie Wonder, George Clinton, and Curtis Mayfield, especially live, where the band aspires to tour with “ten or so” musicians.
Barnes has commented that many of Montreal songwriting hallmarks will remain, such as schizophrenic songs with two or three distinct parts and lyrical themes and characters. There was the cross-dressing Ziggy Stardust-inspired character named Georgie Fruit from 2007’s Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? and again on 2008’s Skeletal Lamping. Given the strong ’70s R&B/funk vibe expected on this next LP, who knows what kind of new characters and retro adventures will be in store.
Expect some sort of contribution from Solange Knowles, Janelle Monáe, and a couple of other surprise guests that Barnes won’t mention yet. Barnes has told Stereogum that he expects the album to get released “sometime in August or September,” and until then, he will be stuck trying to decide between the titles False Priest or The Controller Sphere.
