Made up of songs written and recorded, but not used, for their previous album,
False Priest,
Of Montreal’s thecontrollersphere EP sounds exactly like what it is: a closet-cleaning exercise. While all of the songs would have fit perfectly well within the confines of the album, the album turned out just fine without them. The tracks range from the thundering and robotic "Black Lion Massacre" to the outer space
Bowie-folk of the unfortunately titled "Flunkt Sass vs the Root Flume," the slick robo-funk sex jam "L'Age d'Or," and the skittering rocker "Slave Translator." The highlight is the epic-length "Holiday Call," as it alone has the energy and invention of
OM’s best work, spiraling off into a lengthy Middle Eastern jam in the middle of the song. Otherwise, it’s pretty much what you’d expect, which makes it both essential for
Of Montreal devotees and nothing all that special. ~ Tim Sendra