Their odyssey

Of Montreal's new record "The Sunlandic Twins" comes out April 12. I've got a copy. It's every bit as good as their last one, "Satanic Panic in the Attic." But this time around, Kevin Barnes and company further explore the electronic textures they just teased us with on Panic's "Disconnect the Dots" and "Rapture Rapes the Muses." The new album's lead-off track "Requiem for o.m.m. 2" is a little misleading as it sounds like one of the straight ahead Kinks-inspired pop tunes off the last album. Things get all blippy and bleepy from there, though, with lots of programmed drums and crazy synth sounds rubbing elbows with Barnes' ebullient pop melodies.

This is an exciting shift in direction for Of Montreal. Here's one of "The Sunladic Twin's" several standout tracks:

So Begins Our Alabee