Staff Reviews

Of Montreal - Aureate Gloom

Review by Russell Warfield

Aureate Gloom stretches spontaneity to the point of feeling rushed»

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'A golden despondency' is how Kevin Barnes translates the meaning behind 'Aureate Gloom', the title he gave of Montreal's thirteenth full-length album. The oxymoron is one Barnes says best describes the overall state of his life and mental outlook while working on the record - penning lyrics so personal they sound like entries ripped from a journal that should be permanently kept under lock and key. "I was going through a very stormy period in my life and felt like I was just completely trashed," reveals Barnes. "I might be guilty of sharing or exposing too much of my private life, but to me the best albums are those that help people connect with an artist on a deep, human level and that do so without too much artifice or evasiveness." 'Aureate Gloom' was recorded directly to tape with musicians Kevin Barnes (guitar, vocals), Clayton Rychlik (drums), Bob Parins (bass), Bennett Lewis (guitar), and JoJo Glidewell (keys), plus the help of engineer Drew Vandenberg. The strength of the members' musical rapport was instantly apparent. The group completed nearly a song a day and even wrote a brand new track on the spot, 'Apollyon Of Blue Room,' whose title references a supposedly haunted bedroom in a hacienda on the studio grounds. With 'Aureate Gloom', of Montreal have created one of the most unflinching, confessional and starkly emotional albums in their career.
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