Icons, Abstract Thee

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Icons, Abstract Thee
EP by Of Montreal
Released	January 23, 2007
Recorded	2006
Genre	Indie pop
Length	21:06
Label	Polyvinyl
Producer	Kevin Barnes
Professional reviews
Pitchfork Media (8.0/10) link
Of Montreal chronology
Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? (2007) Icons, Abstract Thee (2007) Skeletal Lamping (2008)

Icons, Abstract Thee is an EP from indie pop band Of Montreal. It was released January 23, 2007. It is a collection of songs from recent singles, bonus tracks from the vinyl edition of Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?, and a song that was put up on the band's MySpace page. It can be seen as a bridge between the song "The Past Is a Grotesque Animal" and "Bunny Ain't No Kind of Rider" from Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?.

[edit] Structure

The first track, "Du Og Meg", discusses the manner in which lead singer Kevin Barnes and wife Nina met and courted each other. "Voltaic Crusher/Undrum to Muted Da" is about the quickly fading love between the two, a theme present in Hissing Fauna... and the only theme in "The Past Is a Grotesque Animal".

The second part of the song, "Undrum to Muted Da", is a short instrumental piece tacked on the beginning of the next song, "Derailments in a Place of Our Own". "Derailments" is a solo acoustic performance that details Kevin's deepest depression in the clearest detail out of all songs from the Hissing Fauna sessions. The EP-only track "Miss Blonde Your Papa Is Failing" name checks Kevin's daughter in the title, and is a song explaining the break up as gently as possible to the young Alabee.

"No Conclusion" is the last song on the EP as well as the longest. It is about the suicidal thoughts harbored by Barnes. By the end of the song, the song has changed from a suicide in a physical sense to a suicide in a metaphysical sense (i.e. going into hiding). On his review published by Pitchfork Media, Rob Mitchum stated that "No Conclusion" would "likely end up as one of 2007's finest musical accomplishments".

[edit] Track listing

1. "Du Og Meg" – 2:21
2. "Voltaic Crusher/Undrum to Muted Da" – 2:04
3. "Derailments in a Place of Our Own" – 3:03
4. "Miss Blonde Your Papa Is Failing" – 3:55
5. "No Conclusion" – 9:41

v • d • e Of Montreal Kevin Barnes • Bryan Poole • Dottie Alexander • Jamey Huggins • Davey Pierce • Nina Barnes Former members: Derek Almstead • Andy Gonzales • Jason NeSmith • Matt Dawson Full-length albums Cherry Peel • The Bedside Drama: A Petite Tragedy • The Gay Parade • Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical Verse • Aldhils Arboretum • Satanic Panic in the Attic • The Sunlandic Twins • Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? • Skeletal Lamping EPs The Bird Who Ate the Rabbit's Flower • The Bird Who Continues to Eat the Rabbit's Flower • Deflated Chime, Foals Slightly Flower Sibylline Responses • Icons, Abstract Thee • Sony Connect Set Compilations Horse & Elephant Eatery (No Elephants Allowed): The Singles and Songles Album • The Early Four Track Recordings • An Introduction to Of Montreal • If He Is Protecting Our Nation, Then Who Will Protect Big Oil, Our Children? • The Gladiator Nightstick Collection • Satanic Twins • Of Montreal Sampler Notable songs "Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse" Related articles The Elephant 6 Recording Company • Music of Athens, Georgia • M Coast • A Pollinaire Rave • Concept album • Polyvinyl Records • Kindercore Records • Bar/None Records