Pullin’ ‘Tubes | of Montreal – Fugitive Air

In the late 1960’s the back-to-basics sounds of the folk-rock movement signified a dynamic shift from the acid-drenched music of the psychedelic era. Now, some 40+ years later, it would appear that the opposite is happening as the recent boom in Americana-leaning acts has spurred on a reactionary movement towards psychedelic-leaning sounds, with young bands like Foxygen, the Allah-Las and the Unknown Mortal Orchestra leading the charge. Not to be left behind in this shift is of Montreal, who have always had flare for the weirdness that would have fit right at home at a Ken Kesey Acid Test.

Gaining inspiration from a stint in San Francisco -ground-zero for the new psychedelic boom -Kevin Barnes returned to his home base of Athens, GA to record what would become the band’s twelfth studio album, Lousy With Sylvianbriar. The eleven-track effort, which was released earlier this month, showcases a new recording approach for Barnes, who assembled a band and ditched the assistance of modern technology, recording almost exclusively live-to-tape on a 24-track tape machine. The result is a collection of loose, gooey, acid-soaked pop tunes inspired by classic releases from the late-60s and early-70s. Barnes layers in sounds from Highway 61-era Dylan to the sun-baked harmonies of the Beach Boys to screaming Neil Young & Crazy Horse electric feedback.

Let’s check out the slightly NSFW video for the album’s lead single “Fugitive Air”:

Written By: Jeffrey Greenblatt