In The Hollow Distance

Owen Pallett “Paragon of Order (Version)”

The connecting thread in all of the Owen Pallett songs I like the most is this feeling of being small and powerless in the face of uncaring gods and other forces that keep you trapped and limited by circumstances. This is a lyrical theme in his songs, but also something suggested by the music itself, particularly when he contrasts minimalist sections of his arrangements with a sort of futile grace and grandeur. “Paragon of Order” sounds like a character gradually escaping a prison suggested by a steady single piano chord, but by the time we’ve made it through the more soaring and triumphant parts of the song, it doesn’t feel like they’ve actually made it out of anything.

Buy it from Bandcamp.