(Photo: Rennie Solis/Polyvinyl Records)

Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
Of Montreal
A group that’s launched many an indie dance party throws exotic instrumentation, genre crossovers, and introspective lyrics into the mix.

PETER: Lyrically, so far as I can tell, the band is fixated on a variety of theological issues and troubles with girls. Some of the beats are captivating, but just when the music starts to get hot, it’s interrupted by screeches, sound effects, and tempo changes.
Rating: 4
Best Track: "The Past Is a Grotesque Animal" (All twelve minutes of it)

JOS: I never ever expected to take this band, known for silly techno-pop, so seriously. But by exploring darker lyrical territory and using more-complicated arrangements, they’ve managed to make some sinister glam-rock with surprising power. It’s an incredible album.
Rating: 9
Best Track: Gronlandic Edit"

SARAH: An all-around hit, described by one 10-year-old as sounding like “aliens from the seventies.” I like the idea of cheerful songs about a dark and sad winter. One kid dances himself into a table.
Rating: 8
Best Track: "Bunny Ain't No Kind of Rider"