Paralytic Stalks

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox album | name = Paralytic Stalks | type = Studio | artist = [[of Montreal]] | cover = OfMontreal_Paralytic_Stalks_2012.jpg | border = yes | alt = | released = February 7, 2012 | recorded = Sunlandic Studios <br /><small>([[Athens, Georgia|Athens]], Georgia)</small> | venue = | studio = | genre = {{hlist|[[Psychedelic pop]]|[[psychedelic rock]]|[[experimental pop]]}} | length = 58:05 | label = [[Polyvinyl Record Co.|Polyvinyl]] | producer = [[Kevin Barnes]] | prev_title = [[thecontrollersphere]] | prev_year = 2011 | next_title = [[Daughter of Cloud]] | next_year = 2012 }}

{{Music ratings | MC = 62/100<ref>[http://www.metacritic.com/music/paralytic-stalks Paralytic Stalks Reviews - Metacritic]</ref> | rev1 = [[AllMusic]] | rev1Score = {{rating|3.5|5}}<ref>[http://allmusic.com/album/paralytic-stalks-r2367096 Paralytic Stalks - Of Montreal : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic]</ref> | rev2 = [[The A.V. Club]] | rev2Score = B+<ref>[https://archive.today/20120729085647/http://www.avclub.com/articles/of-montreal-paralytic-stalks,68899/ Of Montreal: Paralytic Stalks | Music | MusicalWork Review | The A.V. Club]</ref> | rev3 = [[Consequence of Sound]] | rev3Score = {{rating|3.5|5}}<ref>[https://consequence.net/2012/02/album-review-of-montreal-paralytic-stalks/ Album Review: of Montreal – Paralytic Stalks | Consequence of Sound]</ref> | rev4 = [[Drowned In Sound]] | rev4Score = 7/10<ref>{{cite web|url=http://drownedinsound.com/releases/16754/reviews/4144412?ticker|title=of Montreal - Paralytic Stalks Album Review for Drowned In Sound|access-date=2012-02-07|archive-date=2012-02-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205092649/http://drownedinsound.com/releases/16754/reviews/4144412?ticker|url-status=dead}}</ref> | rev5 = [[Paste Magazine]] | rev5Score = 7.2/10<ref>[http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2012/02/of-montreal-paralytic-stalks.html of Montreal: Paralytic Stalks :: Music :: Reviews :: Paste]</ref> | rev6 = ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'' | rev6score = 4.6/10<ref>{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/16250-paralytic-stalks/ |title=Of Montreal: Paralytic Stalks Album Review |work=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |date=6 February 2012 |last=Fitzmaurice |first=Larry}}</ref> | rev7 = [[Rolling Stone]] | rev7score = {{rating|3|5}}<ref>[https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/paralytic-stalks-20120207 Paralytic Stalks | Album Reviews | Rolling Stone]</ref> | rev8 = [[Sputnikmusic]] | rev8Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/47920/Of-Montreal-Paralytic-Stalks/|title=of Montreal - Paralytic Stalks Album Review|website=[[Sputnikmusic]]}}</ref> | rev9 = [[Tiny Mix Tapes]] | rev9Score = {{rating|4.5|5|full=TMT full.svg|half=TMT half.svg|empty=TMT empty.svg|rating=mark}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tinymixtapes.com/music-review/montreal-paralytic-stalks|title=of Montreal - Paralytic Stalks Album Review for Tiny Mix Tapes}}</ref> | rev10 = [[Under the Radar (magazine)|Under the Radar]] | rev10Score = {{rating|8|10}}<ref>[http://www.undertheradarmag.com/reviews/paralytic_stalks/ of Montreal: Paralytic Stalks (Polyvinyl) | Under The Radar]</ref> }}

'''''Paralytic Stalks''''' is the eleventh full-length studio album by American group [[of Montreal]]. It was released on the Polyvinyl website and in stores on February 7, 2012. The band released the album in several formats, including [[music download]], [[Compact disc|CD]], [[Cassette tape|cassette]], [[Vinyl Records|vinyl]], and a special-edition "Fuchsia Purple" vinyl, which was limited to 1,500 copies. Later pressings of the vinyl were offered in yellow as well as black vinyl. All physical versions of the album featured free digital downloads. To support the release of the album, of Montreal toured America in early 2012.

==Sound and style== The recording of the album is dense, featuring dark tones and an indiscriminate eclectic nature both electronically and aesthetically. The album features a wide array of music, ranging from [[Country music|"pseudo-country"]] and, to a larger degree, [[Progressive rock|neo-prog]] often switching and mixing music styles multiple times through the course of a song. Most of the recording was done with a [[Synclavier]] 9600 workstation. Kevin Barnes's lyricism also returns to the confessional style heard in ''[[Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?]]'', entailing dark topics such as revenge, self-hatred, the human condition, and their painful relationship with their wife Nina. It has been called their most personal recording to date.<ref>[http://www.polyvinylrecords.com/store/index.php?id=2004 Polyvinyl Record Co. - of Montreal - Paralytic Stalks]</ref>

==Recording== The album was recorded in Barnes' personal studio and was mixed at Chase Park Transduction with engineer Drew Vandenberg, who has mixed albums by [[Toro y Moi]], [[Futurebirds]], and [[Kishi Bashi]]. Kevin is the producer, songwriter, and co-engineer for the album. The album features a crew of hired [[Session Musician|session musicians]] for the first time in of Montreal's history and features horn and flute player Zac Colwell as a new addition to the band's line-up.<ref>[https://www.spin.com/2011/12/montreal-taking-paralytic-stalks-ambitious-2012-tour/ Of Montreal Taking 'Paralytic Stalks' on Ambitious 2012 Tour | SPIN | Newswire]</ref> While Kevin Barnes is known to take primary creative control of their recordings, K. Ishibashi of Kishi Bashi was a known collaborator on this record and was said by Barnes to have helped shape the songs.<ref>[http://www.spinner.com/2012/06/11/of-montreal-paralytic-stalks-nxne-2012/ Of Montreal's Kevin Barnes Learns to Play With Others on 'Paralytic Stalks' - Spinner]</ref>

==Reception== The reception from critics has been mixed, with the average critical score being a 62 out of 100, according to Metacritic. Some have praised its emotional rawness,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.undertheradarmag.com/reviews/paralytic_stalks/|title=Paralytic Stalks}}</ref> while others thought its divergence from the band's previous poppy style was alienating.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/16250-paralytic-stalks/|title=Of Montreal: Paralytic Stalks|website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] }}</ref>

==Track listing== {{Track listing |all_writing = [[Kevin Barnes]] |title1 = Gelid Ascent |length1 = 4:17 |title2 = Spiteful Intervention |length2 = 3:40 |title3 = Dour Percentage |length3 = 4:39 |title4 = We Will Commit Wolf Murder |length4 = 5:41 |title5 = Malefic Dowery |length5 = 2:36 |title6 = Ye, Renew the Plaintiff |length6 = 8:45 |title7 = Wintered Debts |length7 = 7:33 |title8 = Exorcismic Breeding Knife |length8 = 7:41 |title9 = Authentic Pyrrhic Remission |length9 = 13:13 }}

==Credits== * Mixed by Kevin Barnes and Drew Vandenberg at Chase Park Transduction * Mastered by Greg Calbi

==References== {{reflist}}

[[Category:Of Montreal albums]] [[Category:2012 albums]] [[Category:Polyvinyl Record Co. albums]] [[Category:Sound collage albums]] [[Category:Elephant 6 albums]]