Lousy with Sylvianbriar - Of Montreal
Lousy with Sylvianbriar Image
Metascore
73

Generally favorable reviews - based on 19 Critics What's this?

User Score
8.5

Universal acclaim- based on 21 Ratings

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  • Summary: The 12th studio release for the indie band led by Kevin Barnes was recorded on a 24-track tape machine.

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 19
  3. Negative: 2 out of 19
  1. Paste Magazine
    Oct 8, 2013
    92
    Whether exposing light or dark, or some blank hue in the middle, Barnes has all but bulls-eyed his status as a brilliantly daring artist on Lousy.
  2. All Music Guide
    Oct 7, 2013
    90
    Swapping out the sonic and mental clutter for a host of centered, unconfused rock tunes is a curveball move, for sure, but the end product is the most memorable, lasting, and relatable albums in Of Montreal's extensive catalog, and easily one of the best.
  3. Consequence of Sound
    Oct 10, 2013
    80
    Each and every moment of Lousy With Sylvianbriar celebrates the breaking down of genre barriers that Dylan jumpstarted in 1965. It’s an album that looks to the past while illuminating perfectly the many talents of its contemporary creator.
  4. Sputnikmusic
    Oct 8, 2013
    76
    What makes Lousy with Sylvianbriar a typically of Montreal album is Barnes’s effortless subversion of these classic rock idioms, his ability to distort the twangy harmonies and corn-fed heartland melodies with blindingly vivid, visceral lyrical imagery as deceptive and dark as it is gorgeously enunciated.
  5. Pitchfork
    Oct 11, 2013
    74
    Barnes seems playfully aware that his lyrics are Gordian knots, impossible for even the most devoted Of Montreal fan (including, possibly, himself) to untangle completely. And yet there are moments of clarity on Lousy with Sylvianbriar that prove Barnes is both his own harshest judge and most lenient jury.
  6. The Line of Best Fit
    Oct 9, 2013
    70
    The stronger songs sound intentionally raw and impulsive; the weaker songs like demos waiting to be fleshed out.
  7. Q Magazine
    Oct 11, 2013
    20
    Where once Of Montreal sparkled, they're now mired in a plodding, asexual beige. [Nov 2013, p.113]
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See all 19 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. stellymarie
    Oct 11, 2013
    10
    Enjoyed the album and appreciate the retro recording technique. Very organic and love the guitar riffs Belle Glade Missionaries. Got this one on repeat.… Expand

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