Heartland Press Reviews

[jules]

Jan 13, 2010 6:04:23 GMT -5 Peter Heke said:

www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/rvrj

I give this review a four out of ten. Eight out of ten if it was a troll. I disagree that He Poos Clouds was childish, and I discovered Owen's music even being the musical recluse I am; didn't take no advert for that.

(Note: This is a positive review, but a poorly written one)

Yeah, I'd agree, it tries to be too clever, but is positive. There's a lot of words being written about the name change, which really isn't that big a deal.

[drtchocky]

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2010

Review - Owen Pallett - Heartland - 8.9/10.0

Whereas most artists inhabit a genre, Owen Pallet, nee Final Fantasy, is a genre of his own; for some time consistently churning out some of our generation’s most original compositions and lending his quirky bleeding heart orchestrations to heroes of the 00’s, like Arcade Fire, Grizzly Bear, the Holy F*ck, as well as older acts like the Pet Shop Boys.

His latest release is a self-proclaimed concept album, but does it really matter? I’ve always thought the majority of concept albums utilized the concept to augment and distract from disjointed musical themes and occasional droughts in originality. But here, you’re distracted from the story by a deluge of polyphony and pomp, Owen’s trademark. It’s not as good thing… it’s a great thing.

Yet, on songs like “Red Sun No. 5,” and “Oh Heartland, Up Yours!,” the artist strips all that away demonstrating a proficiency in simplicity, and it tickles. Using his own voice as an instrument, with little to none of his beloved violin, he manages to play quietly and produce climax in silence.

Of course no record of his would be complete without anthems like album opener “Midnight Directives,” and “Keep the Dog Quiet.” These are not show tunes, they're mired in vagaries like, "My body is a cage/This union about a cage about a cage," followed shortly by "Mount Alpentine, in which Owen employs dissonance to pluck any doubt on the meaning of his lyrics from your mind.

This album is not extremely different than what Owen has thus far supplied his audience with, and part of that makes me want to lower the rating of this album, but, the album is a return to form from his last two EP’s which were slightly more experimental in nature. Heartland reconnects with fans and reestablishes Owen as an individual deserving of an eventual inclusion in the Pantheon of North American composers and popular musicians.

The review I just posted on my site oneforthegooddays.com


*takes cover*

[yevveh]

He Poos Clouds is childish? In what way, bar possibly using the word 'poo' in the title? Christ. I wonder if half these people have given more than a cursory listen to his back catalogue. Probably turned off by the idea of listening to anything that sounds remotely classical, and as one reviewer stated, anything that sounds nerdy (wow, songs based on D&D, no way I could possibly like that)

I will admit to not digging Lewis Takes Action the first time I heard it, but it's grown on me a hell of a lot. My question is: FORGETTABLE? The bit after "for a liberated Spectrum" is something I hum all the time, and the sound the strings make after "the fire from my fingers" that sounds almost like they're screaming is one of the most memorable things I've heard. Plus the no-face beak lyric.

Whoever posted the quote about reviewers is damn right.

[heathenpoet]

Jan 13, 2010 15:50:13 GMT -5 yevveh said:

He Poos Clouds is childish?

Yeah, that's just baffling. I'd love to know by what yardstick it could be described as childish... I mean, if He Poos Clouds is childish, that would make Regina Spektor's Soviet Kitsch positively foetal, and James Blunt a glint in the milkman's eye. And they also summise HPC's orchestration as "a string quartet"...

Heartland and any music with a modicum of innovation and intelligence will always divide and intimidate critics I guess, leaving them clutching at comparisons and saying "it's not to everyone's taste"... Not that I'm bitter or anything

Did you see Mr Pallett's face on the front of myspace today? Or rather his impressive fringe? That was a nice surprise!

[heathenpoet]

Jan 13, 2010 16:51:52 GMT -5 heathenpoet said:

that would make Regina Spektor's Soviet Kitsch positively foetal

((I do love that album by the way - it wasn't a slur against her, god forbid))

[kiwiball]

Jan 13, 2010 16:51:52 GMT -5 heathenpoet said:

Jan 13, 2010 15:50:13 GMT -5 yevveh said:

He Poos Clouds is childish?

and James Blunt a glint in the milkman's eye.

BAHAHAHAHA!

excellent.

let me high five you

*lifts palm*

[Scarychips]

(psst. Keren, psst
*lifts palm* = o/
the other must reply with a \o, thus completing the high-five: o/\o)

[Alyssa!]

I'm just waiting for the Kitschfork review, even though I know I know I'll only have two responses: furiously disappointed or glumyly complacent.

[Thomas]

Naw. Bitchfork will give it a 7.8, just like Lady Gaga's album.

[Thomas]

OH! I remembered the quote properly.

"When something you care deeply about gets reviewed, it becomes apparent that the journalist doesn't have a clue what they are talking about."

ha.

[vestenet]

Haha, that quote is still no less accurate.

Personally, I find writing about music an infinitely frustrating exercise, so I have to give a certain tip of my hat to anybody who puts the effort into making it a career. That said, perhaps more frustrating than writing about music is reading some of the music reviews that do get published, and certain material at Fitchpork in particular seems to be tailored purposefully to stimulate my inner snarky critic of critics.

But I have been very pleased that the reviews for Heartland so far seem to be quite positive across the board.

Also, I can't read a lick of French, but it looks like this blog has given Heartland 5 out of 5, so yay!

cestentendu.blogspot.com/2010/01/vise-un-peu-owen-pallett-heartland.html

[Scarychips]

Okay, it is sad that you guys cannot read that review because it's the closest to what I thought of the album. Tis excrept (That I translated for you) is exactly what I think.

"And suddenly 'Heartland', really existing, in 12 tracks we thought we would never be able to listen concretely. And suddenly 'Heartland', and one listen can break all the speculations, no, it's not the masterpiece we could've waited for. And suddenly 'Heartland', which takes the listener by surprise, leaving him in the wait of a known ground that will not come, that will never come. And suddenly 'Heartland', and many listens suffice to finally understand: it's not the masterpiece we could've waited for because we could've never imagined a masterpiece of this degree."

The review is incredibly positive and yes, they did give it a 5 out of 5. !

[drtchocky]

So I guess you guys are okay with my review? I am a huge fan... so I consider myself know enough about Owen...

[Scarychips]

I do actually agree with your review, except the last paragraph explaining why you lowered the rating. I thought Heartland was way more different than his other material. I'll explain my point of view more tomorrow, I'm tired now.

[jules]

Jan 13, 2010 21:52:22 GMT -5 Scarychips said:

And suddenly 'Heartland', and many listens suffice to finally understand:!

I think that the key thing about the album...many listens...finally understand