In interviews, Kevin Barnes has talked at length about the character he embodies on his band’s ninth studio album, Skeletal Lamping. Georgie Fruit is his/her name, a black former funk singer with a penchant for multiple sex changes. Think David Bowie metamorphosing into Ziggy Stardust. The major difference is that while Ziggy was the costume for a performance of a lifetime, on Lamping, Barnes seems content just playing dress-up.

No, this is not a review comparing Georgie to Ziggy -– that would be neither fair nor relevant because, after all, it’s not the differences between these two albums that makes of Montreal’s latest look like a misstep. It’s the contrast between Lamping and the band’s 2007 release, Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? If Hissing Fauna liberated Barnes from his marriage, then Lamping has liberated him from himself -– and not always in a good way.

Perhaps it’s also unfair to measure of Montreal’s latest albums side-by-side, considering their dueling tones, themes, purposes, etc. Regardless, their rapid-succession release dates invite the comparison. It’s also hard not to compare the two when you consider Hissing Fauna was the band’s most consistent, cohesive and, more importantly, emotional release to date. So did fans, still high off Hissing Fauna’s success, have unreasonable expectations this time around? Oh, most certainly.

That said, it’s not that Lamping is a flop. In fact, it’s an enjoyable pop record comparable to many of the band’s earlier efforts, albeit with more schizophrenic qualities (both in terms of the music and its singer) and, of course, much more funk. It’s easy to see why, after the success of tracks like “Faberge Falls for Shuggie” off Hissing Fauna, the band would be eager to explore this new territory. It’s also understandable how, after recording a song like the dark epic “The Past is a Grotesque Animal,” Barnes and company would be ready for a little fun. The only problem is, while Georgie Fruit is palatable, maybe even enjoyable in small doses, Kevin Barnes is the soul of the band, and his presence on this album is sorely missed.

This might be personal preference, but a major part of of Montreal’s appeal has always been Barnes’s elegant wordsmithing. He’s not afraid of throwing out words like “vertiginous” or “vicissitudes,” for instance, turning the most prolix into pop. Now let’s look at some of Lamping’s one-liners: “I want you to be my pleasure puss,” “Lover face, how your ass is pumping,” “Want to make you ejaculate until it’s no longer fun,” and my personal favorite, “I’m so sick of sucking the dick of this cruel, cruel city.” I know, I know, Georgie is a sex-crazed individual who would think and say these sorts of things. And I admit I look forward to the band’s fall tour, when this strange creature will stalk the stage in various hyper-sexed ensembles. I just want my Kevin back.

In the end, Barnes’s love of costume changes probably isn’t the real reason behind the emergence of Georgie Fruit. Perhaps a better clue can be found on Hissing Fauna in one of my favorite of Montreal quotes: “I spent the winter with my nose buried in a book / While trying to restructure my character / Because it had become vile to its creator.” Kevin, if you’re out there reading this, take note. Your fans already see you as a mysterious, sexual, beautifully fucked-up creature. If you must restructure your character, don’t let the costume take over the man -– or, for that matter, the band.