David Barnes delivers again with the album art
Following the release of one of 2008’s best albums Skeletal Lamping, Of Montreal recruit Mr. Everything Jon Brion to mix up some of the albums better tracks. Having worked in the past with Elliott Smith, Kanye West, and Spoon, and also helping produce the soundtrack to Boogie Nights, Eternal Sunshine, and Magnolia Brion certainly has a hand for crafting magnificent tracks. So my hopes were undoubtedly high for those various reasons.
Disappointment from Of Montreal, however; is few and far between. Any band that covers “Day Man” is in good regard for a long time. This EP follows in that pattern pretty well, delivering to fans of the LP some pretty good material that’s a little more ready for the dance floor than the original recordings. The one downfall of this release is that it really doesn’t offer much in the way of anything “new” at all, like I said, the tracks just get a nice shape up for dj’s planning to play their most sexually explicit set of all time.
The reconstruction of “An Eluardian Instance” really doesn’t deviate from the original at all, but what it adds in the repetition and tempo change is welcome. The acoustic version of Eluardian though is quite a treat. The track isn’t stripped down to its absolute bare bones, and I might dispute calling this “acoustic,” but the slow rythm brings out the beautiful voice of Kevin Barnes and more importantly the lyrics become more apparant than ever. And what is Skeletal Lamping worth without the lyrics? Not much.
“Gallery Piece” gets the Brion treatment next, and the last three tracks all play off the same cut. Including the remix and the extended remix is an instrumental of the remix. It’s an exhausting task trying to listen to all three of these front to back, taking away from the feel of this actually being an EP rather than a single or a 12″. The original remix is great though, and it’s definietly the higlight. This cut gets the biggest mix treatment, shortening from the lengthy album version to a more friendly version that plays pretty quickly. The extended cut repeats itself so much that it’s almost annoying to listen to after the five minute mark, but die-hards will still love. (I kind of still did).
If you listened to Skeletal Lamping and loved it, or maybe even just liked it, this EP should definetly be in line for a purchase. The tracks are fun and play fairly fast, catering to the busy lives we all lead. So save some time, practice your dance steps, and come 200 times a day with the Jon Brion remix EP.
7.5 sexual escapades out of 10
mp3: Of Montreal – “An Eluardian Instance” Acoustic Version
Dig Deeper: Jon Brion Wiki Of Montreal Site
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