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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Of roses and peppermint eels and jello in the fingerprints, November 11, 2004
Words are not sufficient to describe the glorious poppy weirdness of Of Montreal's "Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical Verse." While this band is on the second string of Elephant 6 bands, it's among the best ones -- upbeat, surreal, whimsical and gloriously peculiar.
It opens with the perky piano-pop "Good Morning Mr. Endminton" and follows up with the tinkling "Peacock Parasols" and eerie acoustic-guitar "Look at the Bell." The perky bouncy pop angle is taken care of by songs like the rollicking "Introduction to Isabell" and the bizarre, funny "Rose Robert," and the sparkling instrumental number "Coquelicot, Claude and Lecithin Dance Aboad the Ocean Liner," which is only a minute long. "Mimi Merlot" is one of the most entertaining songs, ending with the unique line, "Mimi Merlot you're the most convincingly non-fictitious character that I know."
But chirrupy pop is not all Of Montreal has to offer. Quieter songs are mixed in as well, like the surreally romantic "Let's Do Everything for the First Time," the sweet string ballad "It's a Very Starry Night," and the sprawling, mood-swinging piano-led epic -- clocking in at eighteen minutes -- "Hopeless Opus or the Great Battle of the Unfriendly Ridiculous," which even offers a nudge-wink homage to fellow band Marshmallow Coast.
There are also a couple of mildly experimental songs -- "Upon Settling on the Frozen Island, Lecithin Presents Claude and Coquelicot with his Animal Creations" has nothing but women's voices cooing "Oh yes! Oh yes!" with men replying mournfully "Oh no! Oh no!" There are slurps, silly high-pitched singing, wails, and whispers about pornographic mags. "Lecithin's Tale of a DNA Experiment That Went Horribly Awry" is half-song, half spoken story about horrifying hyena-cicada hybrids that eat little children. "Events Leading Up to the Collapse of Detective Dulllight" is a gloriously warped, surreal take on murder mysteries.
There's a concept album feel to "Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies," although I'm not sure if it is really meant to tell a story. Whether it does or not, it effectively serves as a door to another world where butterflies sing, cats walk upright, robotic aquatic bees are developed, and filing cabinets are found in a detective's brain. There's nothing even remotely normal about it, and that's what makes it fun -- it's like a wild, crazy, colorful dream burned into a CD.
At times the songwriting sounds a bit gruesome -- after all, one song is about monstrous hybrids eating the children of a village. Or rather, it would be gruesome if it weren't so funny. At times the songs sound like they were put together from random surrealist images, like "Let's reminisce of our first dance together/along the ocean floor/Your dress was made of egg shells/My hair was in a pompadour."
Kevin Barnes has a lovely voice. Well, it doesn't get too much of a workout, but it's pleasant and mellow, and he sounds like he's having a great time. Moreover, he does the spoken parts well. Backing him up is Dotti Alexander, who does a glorious job on keyboards; Jamie Huggins who does some solid drums, and a variety of colorful instruments that add to the fun, dreamy atmosphere.
"Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical Verse" is one of those albums that is completely divorced from the mundane and dreary. Fun, upbeat, bizarre and utterly engaging from beginning to end. This deserves to be a classic among indierock/pop bands.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Plays like a movie on acid..., January 17, 2006
Probably the most bizarre..."thing" I've ever heard. Not to say it's bad. I just don't think it does the album justice by calling it merely an "album". Why? Because it's so much more than just an "album". Basically the premise of the story is about a Coquelicot that falls in love with a man in one of her dreams while she's asleep. Of course, if I explained further it would probably necessitate a short essay. But while the story is intricate, and unbelievably detailed itself, the music is even moreso. Not unlistenable by any means, but perhaps bewildering on first/second/third listen. Kevin Barnes twists his poetry into fairy tales in free verse and prose. Rhymes come together in ways not thought possible. The imagination at work is far beyond comprehensible. But this makes it all the more fascinating. The melodies are there, too, but unconventionally so. Generally the melodies change quickly, creating a bizarre.... I'm ranting. It's beautiful is what it is. Totally worth your money. Check it out.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Had a real hard time with this one , June 30, 2008
I don't mind music challenging me, but this one just never paid off. There's some great songs here such as "Penelope" and "Day Dareaming of You" and even "The Event's Leading..."
This album is a collection of oddities that piece together. I don't know what they're supposed to form once whole. There was also a lack of "tightness" within the songs. I just had a hard time with it. I have everything else Of Montreal has done so far, and I love each albums (even the Early 4-Track Collection).
If you're debating between this and another Of Montreal album, I'd recommend you skip this one unless you're very adventurous.
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