I am adding nothing to the discourse, but "When" and ESPECIALLY "Already dreaming" are really good
While I loved (most of) Lady and Freewave, I am really really excited for aethermead. "Already Dreaming" is probably straight up my favorite song released since "Sophie Calle" in 2018. Don't get me wrong, "Soporific Cell" and "Hmmm..." were bangers (maybe the latter is more solemn than partyyyy but ykwim and ykiyk), but I miss the more "straightforward" of Montreal.
Kevin is such an interesting artist, because there is nothing stopping him from writing a normal top-40 style chart topper. (Though, False Priest and Ur Fun, two more conventional albums, prove that Kevin wron't stick to just pop ;) )
Maybe "Already Dreaming" is boring to some. It certainly lacks the "holy shit where is this fucker going" of Lady, Freewave, and all the way back to Skeletal Lamping.
Let me tell you what I'm listening to though: "artsy pop trash"
1.) Underscores: U, Wallsocket, Fishmonger
2.) aya: Hexed (seriously listen to it. Tell me "off to the ESSO" is not a fucking banger)
3.) Kate NV: Room for the Moon (mostly just "Telefon" though. It was my comfort track during Lockdown)
4.) of Montreal (of course lol): TrashI ("Aries equals good trash" is my only go-to from that album, seriously, seriously, seriously underrated), Hissing Fauna, False Priest
5.) Videoclub: *Euphories (*I genuinely promise I'm not an incel (how this shit got coopted by the "black pill" weirdos is beyond me, because I feel like identifying with such obvious pop music involves some capacity to feel joy, which I have the thought the "blackpill" folks have thrown out the window, but that's a whole different post and I'm 9 drinks deep), but "Armor Plastique" and "En Nuit" are straightup bangers)
I have made many posts about how I desperately wished Kevin would finally just focus on an album for once, and I finally think we may be there. While Lady significantly upped the polish on the instrumentals, their vocals suffered. Seriously, the guitar on "Rude Girl" is so gorgeous, but Kevin comes in like they're on a busted AM radio. Come on dude, you're too talented not to get that shit mastered air tight. "Soporific Cell" thankfully did not have this issue.
Though, while aethermead seems to be shaping up to be straightforward, I do hope that it incorporates more weird chord changes. That's always been a staple of of Montreal. I think "Pi$$ Pi$$" from Lady is one of the best tracks for that.
Anyway, I did not realize how intoxicated I was when I started writing. Who is preordering this track? Who's gonna be in Louisville? Who else drank too much locally brewed """"rose""" cider?
Edit: Who is going to be in Louisville?????