Albums like this are why I started this project. This is an album that I never would have listened to otherwise, and I ended up liking most of it it. Sure, I’ve heard of of Montreal, but the truth is, this is just another band that I would have ignored back in the days before I started this project.
Anyway, of Montreal have been on my radar for forever, but I think I’ve subconsciously avoided them because of what I’ve heard about their shows. Apparently, they put on a spectacle, with costumes, nudity, and just overall insanity. To me, it seemed like it’d be more of a pain in the ass than it was worth to get into their music. What if I loved it? I’d have to spend a ton of time acquiring everything they ever released, memorizing lyrics, and then waiting and anticipating for their next show near me. None of this ever materialized as actual, conscious thought—I’m not that crazy—but I am pretty sure that this was going through my head at some level.
As for The Sundlandic Twins (great transition there, right?), it is a pretty solid record. If anything, it’s a bit top-heavy, with the first half making the second look foolish. The beginning of this album provides numerous examples of indie pop at its finest. There’s everything you need in order to get your jam on, with catchy guitars and quirky vocals aplenty. “Let’s pretend we don’t exist/let’s pretend we’re in Antarctica” is repeated countless times on Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games. Yeah, stuff like that. If you don’t like goofiness, my advice to you is to avoid of Montreal.
The later half of this record is very disappointing, unfortunately. It’s not that it is terrible or anything, but its unenthusiasticness is only exacerbated by the fact that the first seven songs are awesome. After The Party’s Crashing Us, the seventh track out of fourteen, Twins moves into a desolate land of boring synths. It’s a shame. This could have been a masterpiece if of Montreal kept the off-beat party going.
Swole Ear 
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