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January 19th, 2010 11:05am

The Way Will Be Lit By The Bridges We Burn


Owen Pallett “Midnight Directives”

I listened to Owen Pallett’s new album Heartland at least five times through before ever coming across the phrase “ultra-violent farmer.” I appreciate Pallett’s sci-fi meta-fiction conceit, but at least early on, I find it difficult to pay much attention to his lyrical games when his arrangements are so dazzling on a purely musical level. “Midnight Directives” is an agile, flamboyant tune that builds from a hum to a symphonic sweep without losing an essential lightness. Pallett is working with a broad palette, but he’s a deliberate, decisive arranger, and he employs sound in a gestural manner that reminds me of the way great cartoonists imply a lot of information in simple, well-placed lines. Even without the high concept, this is incredibly ambitious pop music that deftly avoids the typical traps of symphonic indie music.

Buy it from Amazon.

RSS Feed for this postOne Response.
  1. Felicia Ceballos says:

    I must say, I was a little confused by your description. Well, not confused but I didn’t quite understand what you were saying until I listen to the track.

    It totally makes sense and I agree with you 100% The musical scope is vast and wonderous


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