Of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping

Rating: * * *

Those unfamiliar with American indie pop band Of Montreal - and its eccentric frontman Kevin Barnes (whose cross-dressing alter-ego goes by the name Georgie Fruit) - need only look at

Skeletal Lamping

's ornate and intricate cover art to know this is not your standard issue record.

As the album cover unfolds to create a sprawling, psychedelic cut-out - similar to a pop-up book - you can't help but think this is a man with too much time on his hands, or too many thoughts plaguing his head.

This is confirmed as you make your way through the 15-track record, which seems twice as long, as each song jumps between tempos and tones to sound like an entirely new track.

At times fascinating - like the haunting

Touched Something

's

Hollow

and the meandering disco of

Gallery Piece

- the record swings between melodic intrigue and a daunting cacophony of mad noise.

Combining obscure, sexually-charged lyrics with Barnes' soaring falsetto harmonies, Of Montreal make the Scissor Sisters seem like dull Midwestern conservatives. But too often the story-like songs come across as parody, sounding like an X-rated version of Flight of the Conchords.

There are exquisite moments buried in

Skeletal Lamping

, and no doubt some will consider it genius from beginning to end. But others will find it all a bit much.

Joanna Hunkin