Customer Ratings & Reviews

If you've been on the fence about whether or not you want to dig into the catalog of of Montreal (it's fairly vast), this is the record for you. I don't know if "Snare Lustrous Doomings" was initially released as a 3,000-copy Record Store Day exclusive in 2015, but it was later given a full-fledged release, and for good reason. Everyone should have the opportunity to hear this record. It's utterly fantastic, and it's allowed me as a casual fan of the band to sit back in awe of their performance. There are bands who channel their energy better on the open stage than they do in an enclosed space like a recording studio. Though Kevin Barnes and of Montreal do an excellent job channeling their energy in the recording studio, when they're on stage...it's amazing. The recordings used for their first-ever live album, "Snare Lustrous Doomings," were taken from performances at San Francisco's Great American Music Hall and Portland's Wonder Ballroom, and they make up one of the best live albums I've ever had the pleasure of listening to. The songs from these shows span through six of their albums, focusing primarily on "Lousy with Sylvianbriar" and "Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?") and proves the band is a live entity to be feared and respected. The performances on this album are, in my opinion, the best I've heard, and I've listened to all the albums represented here except for "Bedside Drama," so I think that's saying something. The level of energy, the quality of the performances, and the crystal-clear quality of the sound just completely blew me away. Of Montreal has a rather complex level of instrumentation in their songs, but that doesn't bog down their live shows whatsoever. In fact, I feel as though the live setting (as opposed to the studio setting) allowed the idiosyncratic style of their music really shine. To be honest, I can't even pick a favorite song from this album because they're all so, so good. Just buy the album, and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. This truly is a live album to end all live albums.