User Score
8.6

Universal acclaim- based on 62 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 58 out of 62
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 62
  3. Negative: 4 out of 62

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  1. EdgarH
    May 2, 2007
    10
    Awesome!
  2. MarkB
    Jun 6, 2005
    9
    Perhaps not quite as good as Satanic Panic, but an excellent album nonetheless.
  3. JoshC
    May 6, 2005
    9
    Haven't heard any of Barnes' previous work, but I think this is one of the funnest records I've heard all year. It's sugary and poppy, but with subversive lyrics, interesting structures and some cool sonic subtleties.
  4. MaureenT
    Feb 8, 2006
    9
    although very flamboyant, it puts a smile on my face instantly, and a shake in my hips! (haha im lame)
  5. mattb
    Apr 11, 2005
    7
    treads some new ground for kevin barnes and has several stand out tracks like "the party's crashing us" and "the repudiated immortals" but many of these songs just feel like filler. Overall, a solid but unexceptional album.
  6. pepef
    Apr 12, 2005
    10
    I've been a fan since Cherry Peel. This is the pinnacle. One of the most inventive albums I've ever heard.
  7. ChrisC
    Apr 14, 2005
    8
    This album has some really well formed melodies, and a few really catchy songs....but I think they should have gone in a different direction than psychadelia with the instrumentation. It makes it so some of the songs just don't jive at all, and combined with the lack of variation, that becomes a problem. 7.5 is more accurate than 8.
  8. ChadJ
    Apr 16, 2005
    8
    A free sounding rock album with psychadelic overtones that anybody could like, except for reactionary fanboys of their previous work who hate it whenever their favorite bands change their music at all. (It is different from their previous work.)
  9. JohnM
    Apr 17, 2005
    10
    Yeah I was too busy making love like a pair of black wizard and dancing to "The Party's Crashing Us" to wonder where the tunes and lyrics went.
  10. NickF
    Apr 20, 2005
    10
    This record has everything a brilliant album needs--variety, innovation, and good-old-fashioned catchiness without kitchiness.
  11. IsiahQ
    May 17, 2005
    9
    Te songs in this album are just amazing. This group will knock your socks off with their inventive lyrics and mesmerizing tunes. Easily their best album yet.
  12. tonyl
    May 3, 2005
    10
    wow... This album is Amazing. I suppose the earlier of montreal advocates may think it trails too far off from their normal sound, but I, becoming a fan just after satanic panic, think this is the best album that I have ever listened to.
  13. MarkL
    Jun 26, 2005
    10
    The only criticism I've heard levelled against this album has come from people who listened to it once and wrote it off as "not as good as Satanic Panic in the Attic," or as "yet another electronic departure from Coquelicot/Gay Parade/etc." I include, by suspicion, (online) magazine reviews like Pitchfork's. But I've listened to this c.d. over 70 times, and I'm still The only criticism I've heard levelled against this album has come from people who listened to it once and wrote it off as "not as good as Satanic Panic in the Attic," or as "yet another electronic departure from Coquelicot/Gay Parade/etc." I include, by suspicion, (online) magazine reviews like Pitchfork's. But I've listened to this c.d. over 70 times, and I'm still not bored with it. To spout a cliche, it keeps getting better. (Well, okay, it's leveled out a bit.) Yes, the lyrics include big words; but there's a charm to that. You (I) may not immediately understand a word, but we can always look it up. I mean, accessibility is fantastic, but not everything has to be simple. And I guess that's what it comes down to: with so many albums being released daily, even those specifically fitting the "indie" aesthetic (a vague term, but see this website's top-30), people just don't seem willing to spend time with an album any more. Listen and move on: you've got to keep up. I can't say that this is the case for certain, but it's the only answer I can come up with for why Sunlandic Twins hasn't received near-unfettered acclaim. I mean, have you HEARD the last song? Jesus. Expand
  14. AndiB.
    Jun 7, 2005
    10
    i saw of montreal perform pretty much this whole album and i was hooked immediately...every song is strong and nobody can write songs as catchy and complex as kevin barnes can
  15. Lauren
    Jul 13, 2005
    9
    I don't get how every and their mom doesn't enjoy this album. It is one of my favorites of 2005..... and.... I think it's Of Montreal's best work to date, easily.
  16. KellyP
    Aug 19, 2005
    8
    This album simply makes me happy when I hear it. Fun stuff with a mix of dark reality.
  17. katieb
    Sep 11, 2005
    10
    its an orgasmically good c.d. so happy and unique
  18. Joel
    Sep 19, 2006
    10
    Great album, solid all the way thru
  19. AC
    Mar 9, 2007
    10
    I love this album. No one does it quite like Kevin Barnes when it comes to created fun, upbeat music, clearly this man is a genuis. Tracks like (I Was Never Young, I Was a Landscape in Your Dream, Requiem for O.M.M.2, The Party's Crashing Us, Everyday Feels Like Sunday, The Repudiated Immortals, & many more) will definitely keep you hooked for days, weeks & months.
  20. MeatBag
    Mar 9, 2007
    10
    Lovely & Weird. That pretty much sums up this album.
  21. DJ
    Mar 9, 2007
    10
    A joy to listen to. This is one of those albums you can't stop listening to, no matter how you try. And I mean that in a good way.
  22. SlayG
    Apr 23, 2007
    10
    One of the better albums to come out in 05.
  23. FrankD
    Apr 23, 2007
    10
    Another solid effort by Kevin Barnes and Company. Great, great album.
  24. [Anonymous]
    Dec 19, 2005
    8
    Nearly as good as Satanic Panic!
  25. BernardA
    Dec 22, 2005
    9
    I really liked the way Of Montreal added electronic beats to their usual flat out great melodies to make this one of their best releases. Definately a great piece of pysch pop
  26. VellocetS
    Apr 15, 2005
    9
    this band never made me disappointment...
  27. AnnaE
    Apr 19, 2005
    10
    Bloody brilliant!!!
  28. MykM.
    Apr 26, 2005
    9
    While not my favorite of Montreal album (Gay Parade or Coquelicot would get that title) this is a really fun album with some great lyrics and textures. It's more electronic than anything they've ever done, but if you like that kind of thing maybe you'd enjoy this album above all the others. This is a great album, though, so open your ears, fire your synapses, and shake your booty.
  29. matta
    Jul 11, 2005
    7
    This really is one of those albums where the first half is really good and then the second half only so-so. Definetely down a notch from their last cd. Some good songs on the EP too if you can a copy that includes that.
  30. AlistairM
    Aug 22, 2005
    9
    Infectious summer tunes with smart lyrics
  31. AlexF
    Jan 18, 2007
    10
    greatest CD yet..even outdid Chrissy Kiss The Corpse on Satanic Panic, Wisconsin loves Of Montreal, hope Hissing Fauna Are You the Destroyer does better yet
  32. MikeD
    Apr 11, 2007
    10
    Terrific album! Smart, upbeat, catchy, weird, beautiful and original. Not quite as good as "Satanic Panic In The Attic" (which is my favorite album ever) but who cares this is still very rock solid from beginning to end. The more I listen to this band, the more I realize how great they are. Of Montreal gets my vote for the underrated band in the last 20 years. Not only do I recommend this Terrific album! Smart, upbeat, catchy, weird, beautiful and original. Not quite as good as "Satanic Panic In The Attic" (which is my favorite album ever) but who cares this is still very rock solid from beginning to end. The more I listen to this band, the more I realize how great they are. Of Montreal gets my vote for the underrated band in the last 20 years. Not only do I recommend this album but also there whole entire Discography because every single album of theirs has gotten at least a 8 or better from me. Kevin Barnes you are one of the best song writers of all-time. Expand
  33. ZacharyM
    Dec 17, 2006
    9
    amazingly upbeat album. exactly what you need if you live in seattle.
  34. IsaacC
    Dec 25, 2006
    9
    The ability to throw out concept albums is just some 2/10ths of Kevin Barnes' forte. But let's refrain from the words "throw out" and instead replace them with some more suitable and thought provoking.Those like 'create' and 'craft' -those that describe his creation process as something more extraordinary. The Sunlandic Twins is a story based on a dream had The ability to throw out concept albums is just some 2/10ths of Kevin Barnes' forte. But let's refrain from the words "throw out" and instead replace them with some more suitable and thought provoking.Those like 'create' and 'craft' -those that describe his creation process as something more extraordinary. The Sunlandic Twins is a story based on a dream had by Barnes' wife. In the story, a set of twins(represented as Barnes' and his wife) are cast to a land called Sunlandia. A place where acceptance and discovery are only half of their bestowed voyage. The tale deepens as, through their trials, the twins are bonded closer and closer together to a state of sheer dependence-evidenced by tracks like "So Begins Our Alabee". On the musical side, tracks like "Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games" mirror Of Montreal's reputation-catchy melodies backed by dance-able beats and bass lines. The Sunlandic Twins is an evident artistic masterpiece if handled by the right hands-and ears. Expand
  35. Jan 14, 2022
    9
    Really solid, some of the instrumentals are really really well done. I don’t know what’s the right word, sometimes “funk” inspired I would say; overall the best length too.
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 25
  2. Negative: 0 out of 25
  1. Alternative Press
    80
    The Sunlandic Twins feels like a surprise party that could make a broken-hearted birthday boy smile. [May 2005, p.124]
  2. Some might write off this album as a collection of novelty work à la Ween, but there's more going on here than being goofy for goofiness' sake.
  3. Entertainment Weekly
    67
    Most of Twins seems too keenly fascinated by its own intelligence. [15 Apr 2005, p.77]