Flak Magazine: Review of Of Montreal's Aldhils Arboretum, 09-10-02

Those looking to trace the evolution of the distinctively un-Canadian Of Montreal from a recorded-at-home collective to a polished quintet need look no further than the whiskey-soaked touring path the Athens, Ga.-based band blazed leading up to Aldhils Arboretum's release. Moving past previous off-the-head recording tactics, the 14-track album was road tested, listener approved well before the boys headed back to the bedroom studio — the group toured much of the album's material to tighten things up a bit, kinda like another southern crooner.

Gone may be the questionable voice-overs and thematically linked tracks (read: concept hell) of the group's previous on-again, off-again catalog. But the distinctive '60s synth-pop wrapped in quirky tales of Southern pastoral living remain splendidly intact. Like Ben Folds and boombox troubadour John Darnielle, singer Kevin Barnes and Co. craft character-driven tableaus about alcoholic farmers, old people visiting friends' graves, cranky neighbors bitching about a burned-down barn and the broken-hearted eating alone at a pancake supper. The sleepy acoustic licks of "Pancakes for One" flow into thrift-store keyboards and Barnes' accessible Roger-McGuinn-by-way-of-Brian Wilson vocal marksmanship. A cute little homage to ragtime, "Natalie and Effie in the Park" recalls a time when America's musical canon struck a more idyllic pose, with lyrics about Sunday strolls with a newly-purchased Yorkie.

While the wink wink, nudge nudge songsmanship dished out on Aldhils Arboretum tops most recent Elephant 6 activity (the album tails a bit behind Beulah's sardonically delicious Coast is Never Clear), there are still a few stumbling points, including the noticeably erratic drumming on "An Ode to the Nocturnal Muse." But such moments are fading reminders of Of Montreal's former one-take mentality — for the most part, Aldhils Arboretum is highly melodic, funny and, dare we say, tight as a radio-friendly, neo-garage ditty. Well, for E6 standards at least.

— Matthew Rodbard (matt at emceebard dot com)