The Gay Parade Review

Release Date: Feb 16, 1999
Label: Bar/None
Genres: Alternative Pop/Rock, Lo-Fi, Indie Pop, Neo-Psychedelia
Number Of Tracks: 16
The Gay Parade is indie pop's very own Sgt. Pepper, a richly detailed, grandly ambitious concept record which forgoes the ponderous pretensions the phrase implies to instead exult in the simple joys of everyday life.

Sound:	10
Lyrics:	10
Impression:	10
Overall rating:	9.6
Reviewer rating:	10
Users rating:	9.2
Votes:	11

overall: 10

Reviewed by: Infamou$17, on july 14, 2007

Sound: Of Montreal is a fairly prolific band, with many albums under their belt, no Frank Zappa but there is still quite a bit to keep track of. You can think of this album as a "gateway album" used to progressively get more and more into of Montreal, as this is one of their more easily accessible albums. Not over-the-top like Hissing Fauna, more of a straightforward indie pop sound that has a few of their quirks. The production value isn't the best, but it's not intolerable. I think these guys have some of the catchiest sounds out there today. None of the tracks are terribly long, either, with only two of them in excess of 3 minutes and one over 5 minutes long. // 10

Lyrics and Singing: Kevin Barnes is an excellent singer and lyricist, he usually writes lyrics about personal experiences (romance is a big topic) and he chooses his words very wisely. The song titles that they come up with, if they did not influence Panic! At the Disco in some way then I don't know what the hell did. "Man's Life Flashing Before His Eyes While He and His Wife Drive Off the Edge of a Cliff", I believe that is the longest title for any of their songs. // 10

Impression: Of Montreal are the dominant rulers of the indie pop world and have been for years, as The Gay Parade (1999) proves. Personally I really dig "My Favorite Boxer" and "The Autobiographical Grandpa", but everything on here is worth your time. I even love how the production value is not perfect, don't know why. If I lost it or it was stolen from me, I'd get it again. If it were lost and I found it, then I would have a copy for my car and a copy for whatever else. If you have wanted to listen to of Montreal for a while, start with this and Satanic Panic In The Attic. You will not regret it unless you are one of those UG classic rock/emo/metal purists who refuse to try something new. // 10

Comments

[tilde]

"Dustin Hoffman’s Wife Makes A Sarcastic Remark, Cuts The Head Off A Duck, Places It Where The Tub Was and Begins To Groan"

is longer, sorry.

[wcsn44]

please don't include panic at the disco in anything of montreal related.

[nintendoeats]

I would probably put Of Montreal more into he Geek Rock camp. they seem to fit in so well with TMBG and all...

[witmachine]

I like Of Montreal, but never got around to listening to this album (the title kind of turned me off a bit). But after reading this review i might have to go check it out!

[buckethead_X]

It's very beautiful. It never gets dark, and rarely gets sad at all. I expected some happy songs to have some tragic ending, and was confused when they didn't (since I had listened to Hissing Fauna and Skeletal Lamping first). This album will make you feel...warm. I think that's the best way to put it. The Gay Parade Outro actually made me smile. They all agreed I was very pleasant company!

[phriendlybear]

This album has kept me up at night many times. This is probably the best songwriting I've ever heard. The beginning intro basically sums up what its about, which is experiencing life in a whole new way. This is most definitely post-mushroom consumption song writing.