Of Montreal has never been one to eschew the personal side of things. 2007’s “Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?” was born straight out of Kevin Barnes’ whirlwind of an antidepressant-heavy life. Of Montreal always liked to cover up its darker lyrics with the perkiest of pop sounds, so merging with Barnes’ antidepressants was a natural fit and a sweet personal touch. But just when it looked like Of Montreal had settled down and found a steady style in “Hissing Fauna,” the band has reinvented itself yet again. “Skeletal Lamping” is an absolutely relentless trip through the mind of front man Barnes’ alternate persona, Georgie Fruit.

It’s all about Georgie Fruit, now. He is a man at present, but he used to be a woman, and then a man before that. He’s an incredibly sexual being, and his mind is always exploring the nuances available to his unique physical body. His fusion of mind, body and dare I say soul, is the album’s engine, blowing illusive smoke off in so many directions that it’s hard to see where it all started.

The search for the source begins at the top with “Nonpareil of Favor,” a song that at first favors deception and then bottoms out, pulling forth our sorrow and intrigue for Barnes as he helplessly transforms into the warped Georgie Fruit. The song starts soft, but then it builds up without abandon. The rug is pulled out, and the progression sheds logic as the song leans back into surf rock, a haunting chorus and toy pianos.

Do not expect anything but the unexpected now that Georgie Fruit is behind the wheel. As he kicks around genres like a hell-bent soccer player, he always finds a way to get as close to the goal before inexplicably about-facing and punting it away. It’s silly to rely on this guy to fly straight; the best you can do is hold on for as long as you can.

He will try to lull you into compassion, but resist the urge to reach out. A couple of songs, including “Touched Something’s Hollow,” recall simpler times, when Of Montreal’s lead singer only had one soul inside of him. Disturbing in their simplicity, these choice numbers show how far Barnes’ album psyche is removed from reality. Georgie Fruit is an overpowering figure, and, every now and then, his ego supplants quality songs. “Women’s Studies Victims” never finds the right tone to support Georgie Fruit’s increasingly strange perspectives.

The rest of the time, Georgie Fruit’s life complements the sound. “Gallery Piece” fits his disturbed sexual pleasures with off-kilter guitars. In other instances, the humor rises to the top as each song crescendos into senseless blasts. Georgie Fruit amuses himself by riffing on Internet-speak and caller ID, and while his views aren’t exactly relatable, he does build up a comic rhythm amid the chaos of his grooves.

Georgie Fruit tells his life with an impatient, “let’s get this over with” spirit, and his songs are best described as compilations of micro-songs. Each one begins in mid-stride and ends before it starts to rust. He lives by a science of non-science, of mayhem and not caring that there’s nothing to understand. Out of this, Of Montreal has crafted “Skeletal Lamping,” perhaps the perfect, rapid-fire album for the iPod Generation.

Rating: 4.5/5
For fans of: Beck, The Shins, The Beach Boys
Tracks to download: ‘An Eluardian Instance,’ ‘Triphallus, To Punctuate!,’ ‘Id Engager’