The Bedside Drama: A Petite Tragedy

by Of Montreal

Overview

A continuation and maturation of the playfulness exhibited on earlier releases, Of Montreal create a brand of theatrical psychedelic pop that many of their '60s predecessors hinted at but only afew achieved. Overall less overtly rock-influenced than either Cherry Peel or Horse and Elephant Eatery, Kevin Barnes continues to change chords with nearly every word, twirling Vaudevillian melodies that incredibly bring to life all the whimsy and melancholy of the characters the songwriter carefully orchestrates. Though these characters haven't yet taken on the florid personalities that would be found in later Of Montreal albums, Barnes nonetheless proved themself an adept illustrator, as the band charted the dizzying highs of infatuation, the leveling off of emotion, and the devastating collapse of a relationship with a picturesque precision. Still sweetly naive with the swinging skiffle pop of "One of a Very Few of a Kind" and the gorgeously complex melodies of "Happy Yellow Bumblebee," the latter finds the narrator becoming a bee, befriending beetles and centipedes, avoiding spiders, and getting lonely because their parents are dead and siblings are nowhere to be found. Throughout, the absurdity of the songwriting never grows tiresome. Even so, understated gloominess creeps into tracks with the dark piano strikes of "Panda Bear" and the sprightly "It's Easy to Sleep When You're Dead," although the narrator escapes with the conclusion that life is a better choice in the end. Overall, an album that marked a crucial stage in the evolution from the lo-fi garage pop of Cherry Peel to the ambitious rock carnival of The Gay Parade and cemented Of Montreal's status as one of the most creatively relevant groups of the late '90s. ~ Matt Fink

Product Details

Release Date:	10/27/2009
Label:	Polyvinyl
UPC:	0644110011015
Rank:	64980

Tracks

Disc 1

1. One of a Very Few of a Kind
2. Happy Yellow Bumblebee
3. Little Viola Hidden In the Orchestra
4. Sing You a Love You Song
5. The Couple¿¿¿S First Kiss
6. Honeymoon In San Francisco
7. Cutie Pie
8. Panda Bear

Disc 2

9. Please Tell Me So
10. My Darling, I¿¿¿Ve Forgotten
11. If You Feel You Must Go, Don¿¿¿T Go!
12. Just Recently Lost Something of Importance
13. The Hollow Room
14. It¿¿¿S Easy To Sleep When You¿¿¿Re Dead
15. In the Army Kid
16. Montreal Makes Me Sad Again

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Of Montreal   Primary Artist
Kevin Barnes   Vocals

Technical Credits

Kevin Barnes   Composer,Musician
Marshmallow Coast   Composer