Rolling Stone (p.70) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[The album] ranges from Kinks-y rock to New Wave to disco, with dashes of the whimsical psychedelia that typically infuses the band's sound."
Rolling Stone (p.115) - Included in Rolling Stone's "50 Top Albums of the Year 2007".
Spin (p.85) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "Kevin Barnes' pleasantly nasal voice...harmonizes on nearly every track..."
Q (p.115) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "HISSING FAUNA...comes on like Arcade Fire meeting the Scissor Sisters in rehab hell, and heralds the emergence of a major talent."
Uncut (p.88) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "HISSING FAUNA...posits its creator as the missing link between Hot Chip and Morrissey."
Alternative Press (p.115) - "With this completely progressive and mature effort, it's clear that Barnes is one of indie rock's most gifted songwriters."
Magnet (p.104) - "FAUNA is Of Montreal's first heartbroken record....The emotional gravitas only lends heft to the group's exhilarating, ever-present sugar high."
CMJ (p.41) - "Beginning with a potential pop anthem, complete with screeching close-knit harmonies, bouncy guitars and synths, the band tricks listeners into a dark, psychedelic and mind-blowing musical experience."
Of Montreal: Kevin Barnes.
On 2007's HISSING FAUNA, ARE YOU THE DESTROYER?, the ever-prolific Athens, Georgia-based act Of Montreal--essentially vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Kevin Barnes and a loose cadre of musicians--unveils another gleefully quirky indie-pop outing. While the hard-driving opener, "Suffer for Fashion," nods to glam rock and New Wave, the following "Sink the Seine" shows the influence of both electronica and Beatle-esque psychedelia, calling to mind the Canadian artist Caribou. Not one to leave any style unturned, Of Montreal also delves into funk and disco on the groove-oriented "Gronlandic Edit" and fuzzed-out "Bunny Ain't No Kind of Rider." Easily one of the group's most assured albums, HISSING FAUNA epitomizes Barnes's boldly eclectic yet surprisingly cohesive sound.