Of Montreal – ‘Aethermead’ album review: Still covering new ground after 20 albums
Second-guessing the next move of Kevin Barnes, the founder and sole consistent member of indie rock outfit Of Montreal, has been rendered almost entirely pointless over the course of 30 years under the name. Aethermead, their landmark 20th album, is a bold continuation of this trend.
The Skinny: Whether dipping their toes into blissful psychedelic pop, hypersexual glam disco or epic prog tragedies, you can’t fault Barnes for their commitment to an ever-evolving approach to creativity, but at several points over their lengthy career, this has been applied in ways that range from astoundingly inspired to drastically overcooked. However, just when you think your patience with their project has run its course, you know they’re going to return with a record that reaffirms why they can be just as lovable as they are infuriating.
Aethermead’s predecessor, 2024’s Lady on the Cusp, was billed as an album that spanned all of the different moods that Of Montreal have explored over the years, and boy, did it show. With as many moments of Barnes’ genius on show as there were excessively indulgent exercises in revisiting styles that never worked for them the first time, album number 19 frequently tested the patience of the listener with its cohesion-averse rollercoaster of genres.
However, where Lady on the Cusp fell flat by trying too hard to be unapologetically on brand, Aethermead is a stylistic reset that sees Barnes embracing consistency while not sacrificing their songwriting quirks. Their ability to embellish lyrics with grandiose turns of phrase can invariably function as a lexicographer’s wet dream, but when Barnes gets overzealous with their poetic opulence, meaning quickly gets obscured and rendered a jumbled slurry of vocabulary. With Aethermead, their desire to be more open and personal in their accounts of a recently failed relationship means that they’ve pared back the loquaciousness and gone for a more direct approach that sparingly flaunts how literary they can be.
Another way in which Of Montreal have historically fluctuated between their creative peaks and troughs is their utilisation of unconventional structure and musicality. When flourishing, Barnes’ ideas can still be outlandish, but aren’t being smothered by their tendency to work in too many disparate ideas that don’t gel. On Aethermead, the sonic elements and structures feel experimental enough to pique the interest, but aren’t overblown to the point that they collapse under the weight of their own magnitude.
Given how it is thematically frustrated, Barnes does a commendable job of harnessing their grievances in a way that doesn’t spiral out of control or become too overwhelming for the listener to digest. It might not necessarily be the strongest body of work Barnes has put out under their Of Montreal moniker, but Aethermead is certainly a return to recognising their strengths as both a songwriter and storyteller.
Standout Track: ‘Take the Form’
The Verdict: As with all Of Montreal records, the best way to approach it is with an open mind. You may enjoy the blissfulness of Satanic Panic in the Attic and abhor the cluttered chaos of Paralytic Stalks, or vice versa, but the best thing about Aethermead is that it’s neither of those things; it’s simply another entry into Barnes’ all-encompassing catalogue, and a pretty tight one at that.
Release Date: June 5th, 2026 | Producer: Kevin Barnes | Label: Polyvinyl Record Co.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out New Music Newsletter
All the latest New Music from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.