There’s something to be said for chaos in music.
Ever since the advent of atonal theory and composers such as Arnold Schoenberg, there has been countless amounts of experimental music that tests the limits of music and – if I’m being frank – tests the limits of a listener’s ability to suspend judgment until after ingesting a work in its entirety.
This is definitely the case with Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical Verse. There are moments of clarity, where the music is beautiful and the lyrics, though saccharine, are affecting. But, there are also instances of absolute insanity. In my opinion, the moments of insanity are outweighed by an abundance of absolutely stellar pop music that has more than its share of earworms.
Of Montreal’s trademark hyperactivity, and melodic yet off-kilter sensibility is possibly at its peak on Coquelicot. Seemingly drawing as much from the English music hall tradition as from American pop acts like the Beach Boys, there’s nothing else out there quite like the frenetic, utterly wacked-out pop these guys come up with. (Matt LeMay)
Disclaimers aside, I thoroughly enjoyed this album. It’s technically a concept album, but when the description of the plot contains phrases like “An Efeblum is a fairy-like creature who is employed by the Efeneties to place bells inside people’s hearts” and
“she decides to experience life in a sleeping unconscious/conscious state,” it’s a little beyond my grasp as to what the plot is beyond broad strokes. From what I gather, the album is about a creature that shirks her responsibilities for a while and makes new friends who she then recruits to help her fulfill her responsibilities. But, in my humble opinion, the story isn’t too relevant to enjoying the album.
Highlights include the opener, Good Morning Mr. Edminton which elicits a sort of Beach Boys-Beatles 60s hybrid vibe. Penelope is also a standout, always changing tempos and rhythms, but never really taking a breath. The instrumentation here is at its best with great piano work, well-timed guitar stabs and a drum beat that somehow keeps it all glued together. Hello From Inside a Shell showcases the group’s ability to create an accessible pop track out of lyrical material that is utterly beyond anything typically written for the genre. Of Montreal has made a brand for itself by standing out and knowing exactly what it wants to be: different, yet recognizable.
An important note to add is how much I enjoy this album’s love songs, the first being Let’s Do Everything for the First Time Forever which takes the concept of the elation of the initial kiss or embrace of a relationship and pines for that feeling each time the affection is repeated. A Dreamy Day Daydreaming of You is also a delight, combining pet names with a lazy piano track that befits the track’s title before giving way to a quick pop trounce extolling his lover’s ability to make him happy even when sleeping. The last romantic standout is the piano and vocal-driven It’s Just So which leads, simply enough, with the lyric “I don’t wonder why I love you, I already know: it’s just so.”
Chaos aside, this album presents a really solid footing for anyone looking to explore the perpetually fertile grounds of psychedelic pop music.
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Released: April 23rd, 2001
Suggested by: Jim Backman
For project details and to suggest your own favorite album, visit the intro page.