Owen Pallett is not a name you will be instantly familiar with, but you will have heard his musical fingerprints all over some of the best releases of the last couple of years. He has been in constant demand for his string arrangements; recent work includes the string arrangements for The Last Shadow Puppets, Arcade Fire and Pet Shop Boys. Another reason you may not be instantly familiar with his name, as he has put out his records under the moniker Final Fantasy up until very recently. Under the name Final Fantasy he has released the albums Has a Good Home (2005) and He Poos Clouds (2006) as well as a number of smaller EPs all in his unique style.
What hits you on first listen, is the sheer size, scope and ambitiousness of the record. It has all the grandeur of a great orchestral record, to the extent it makes you wonder how Pallett will be able to recreate the complex and huge orchestral moments through his looping pedal. Another thing that comes across is that this maybe isn’t an instantly accessible record, or at least it is not nearly as accessible as some of his earlier work. There is no way you would be able to drop in and out of this album. Any attempt at shuffling would interrupt the cohesion and flow of the record, not to mention the underpinning narrative. That’s another thing that should be mentioned, the record is a concept album of sorts, well in the sense that it is set in a universe purely of Pallet’s construct and almost entirely revolves around the life and actions of a farmer called Lewis in the aforementioned universe called Spectrum.
In terms of music and it’s craft, Pallet is very much leading from the front in attempting to crossover classical sensibilities with pop and rock. The major strength of this album for me comes from the vocals, they are arguably understated, incredibly melodic yet you never get the impression that they are being forced; they instead seem effortless. Another strength of the album is that it does not shy away from experimentation, beyond the trademark strings, electronic (almost video-game-esque) notes feature, along with effective use of percussion help to give this record a familiar yet different feel. I would be remiss if I went through the whole review without mentioning the lyrics contained within the album. Pallett is a craftsman and an amazing writer of poetic lyrics; and is able to juxtapose the content of the lyrics with the melody; there are moments on this album where the music is jaunty yet the lyrics have a darkness and macabre feel to them.
For fans of Owen Pallett this most definitely should be added to your collection, yet I would recommend others give Pallett the listen he most definitely deserves. You will not be disappointed – perhaps this is not the most apt starting point; but here is as good a place as anywhere. Heartland is a splendid record packed full of wondrous orchestral tinged greatness.
Review Score: 8/10
Heartland is out now on Domino Records
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