of Montreal – Aureate Gloom (Polyvinyl Records; 2015)
Emerging from the ruins of a past relationship, Kevin Barnes, singer-songwriter behind of Montreal, released a new chapter of emotional turmoil in their 13th studio album, Aureate Gloom. Emitting waves of often paradoxical feelings from a single song, the record radiates an overall feel of inner conflict sprinkled with brief moments of relief. The lyricism matches this bi-polar feel, where the nonsensical boils into deeply sensual, blatant anxiety transforming into something oddly therapeutic.
Following up from their 2013 album, Lousy with Sylvianbriar, Aureate Gloom grows on the more matured, nuanced vibes that perhaps diverge almost completely from the eccentric glory days of Hissing Fauna and Skeletal Lamping, which in a way makes it difficult to compare the album to their older works. That being said, the record manages to convey its creator’s melancholic attitudes without ignoring the bumps of elation that renders the rather mellow labyrinth of emotion quite a pleasurable trip to listen to.
Trial Track: Empyrean Abattoir
Rating: 8/10
-Steven Nadeau
