The Gay Parade is a concept album

Concept album

In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...

 by the band Of Montreal

Of Montreal

Of Montreal is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia. It was founded by frontman Kevin Barnes in 1996, named after a failed romance with a woman "of Montreal." The band is one of the bands of the Elephant 6 collective...

, their third full-length release. It has been called "indie pop's very own Sgt. Pepper

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is the eighth studio album by the English rock band The Beatles, released on 1 June 1967 on the Parlophone label and produced by George Martin...

" by Allmusic reviewer Jason Ankeny.

It is the first collaboration with frontman Kevin Barnes' brother David

David Barnes (artist)

David Barnes is an artist, performer, and comedian best known for being the art director for his brother Kevin's indie pop band, of Montreal...

, who has since designed the artwork for every forthcoming Of Montreal album. As the album cover depicts, The Gay Parade is a child-like exaltation of everyday life.

Track listing

All songs by Kevin Barnes.

1. "Old Familiar Way" - 2:25
2. "Fun Loving Nun" - 2:17
3. "Tulip Baroo" - 2:10
4. "Jacques Lamure" - 2:31
5. "The March of the Gay Parade" - 2:55
6. "Neat Little Domestic Life" - 2:45
7. "A Collection of Poems About Water" - 3:57
8. "Y The Quale And Vaguely Bird Noisily Enjoying Their Forbidden Tryst / I'd Be A Yellow Feathered Loon" - 2:40
9. "The Autobiographical Grandpa" - 2:19
10. "The Miniature Philosopher" - 1:54
11. "My Friend Will Be Me" - 3:54
12. "My Favorite Boxer" - 3:01
13. "Advice from a Divorced Gentleman to His Bachelor Friend Considering Marriage" - 2:08
14. "A Man's Life Flashing Before His Eyes While He and His Wife Drive Off a Cliff into the Ocean" - 3:04
15. "Nickee Coco and the Invisible Tree" - 5:21
16. "The Gay Parade Outro" - 0:47