of Montreal

The hyper-sexualised tales in of Montreal’s last four albums or so are perfect for an open-minded Brighton crowd, but there’s more to the American indie band than just striking lyrics. The six musicians on stage (including guitars, keyboards, tambourines, drums and more) were tight and well-drilled, effortlessly veering between drawn out psychedelic jams and short pop songs. Kevin Barnes is a charismatic, alarmingly slim frontman, with a fantastic voice that can nail both Prince-style raunchiness and sweet high parts.

The atmosphere wasn’t quite as hedonistic as it could have been however, perhaps due to the band’s newer material not being as strong or popular as earlier records. The triumphant fan favourites off ‘Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?’ got the crowd going though, and were infectious, entertaining bursts of joyful pop music. A fun night out, and a reminder of the songwriting and theatrical talents of the idiosyncratic Kevin Barnes.

The Haunt, 16 February 2014

Rating: