The Quarry In Her Sex Safari

Of Montreal “Polyaneurism”

A very clever thing about “Polyaneurism” is how Kevin Barnes pushes hard on using language that signals a fluency in social media and contemporary slang, and in a way that shows him to be both plugged-in and slightly removed in generational terms. The song is just as much about this tension of staying “with it” as it is about the specifics of entering a relationship with a younger woman on her polyamorous terms. He’s open minded and excited by possibilities but can’t help but feel like maybe he’s internalized too much of the norms of his youth and slightly ashamed of it – “if you want monogamy are you just, like, some basic bitch?” The tone of the song is light and playful in a way that’s very much in line with Barnes’ earlier work but a refreshing change of pace from his more anxious and manic music from over the past decade or so. The silly mood conveys a more relaxed emotional stakes even if he’s clearly deep in love. He’s obviously attracted to her because she represents change and transformation, and he’s just figuring out how to evolve without betraying himself.

Buy it from Bandcamp.