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Post by ragamuffin on Jan 15, 2010 13:24:38 GMT -5
And that Fitchpork review is rather well written, I must say. It makes spot-on observations about the sophistication of the arrangements and the time the album requires to digest (although I can't help but feel a little bit smug about the reviewer's admission at having underrated He Poos Clouds). Of course, Fitchpork's "grading" philosophy has always struck me as either absurd or absent, and the 8.6 leaves me wondering what gripes the reviewer had which were worth those 1.4 points, since the review itself contains nary a negative statement. But, most importantly, congratulations to Owen on getting Best New Music! It's wonderful that so many people are discovering how wonderful Heartland is. It is well written. The only thing I miss, is more about the story (as I miss in every review). I've seen a lot of reviews that seemingly hasn't a bad thing to say about Heartland that still has given it 4-4.5/5 stars. I don't quite get it. The P4K-reviewer implies that it's still growing on him though, so the score is probably based on what he currently thinks about it... |
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Post by yevveh on Jan 15, 2010 14:40:41 GMT -5
I think 5 stars implies that it is a perfect piece of art, and as close as an album may get, it's pretty asymptotic. maybe a % rating for all of these would allow them to get closer to top marks?
also, it's not necessarily about taking points away, but rather giving them. so although a bad thing mightn't have been said, perhaps there was something not there and the reviewer didn't consciously realise it wasn't there but felt something missing, thus no comment but not more marks. or, as it takes time to grow on someone and there's only a limited time available before the deadline, it mightn't have fully grown on someone, as you mentioned.
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Post by yevveh on Jan 15, 2010 15:11:34 GMT -5
Funny coincidence, just read this:
Irish Independent, 8th Jan
Owen Pallett - Heartland 5/5
Owen Pallett has released two albums under the Final Fantasy moniker, but, as the Canadian is planning to make this third offering available in Japan, he has decided to dispense with a name taken from the video game that's as much a part of Japanese life today as sushi and sake.
After making his name as the orchestral arranger on Arcade Fire's stunning debut album, Funeral, as well as working wonders with Andrew Bird and Patrick Wolf, he won the inaugural Polaris Award - Canada's version of the Mercury - for his second Final Fantasy album, the unforgettably titled He Poos Clouds. That was a very fine album. Heartland is even better.
Here is an intelligent, highly inventive baroque pop collection boasting frequently exhilarating orchestration. The opening track, Midnight Directives, is a dazzling collision of sounds and ideas and as gloriously uplifting as Handel's more exclamatory moments.
The quality rarely flags, and two tracks in particular - Red Sun No. 5 and Lewis Takes Action - show the progress that Pallett has made in the four years since his last album. Both songs display the sort of vaulting ambition that Sufjan Stevens brought to his now-aborted 50 States project. They boast a similar desire for texture and surprise, Pallett's vocals are never less than captivating and the subject matter is mysterious and open to interpretation.
Like many of the very best albums, this is one whose charms will only be revealed if the listener works too. But the rewards are manifold and anybody who adores the melodrama of Rufus Wainwright, the fey qualities of of Jens Lekman and the otherworldy drive of Brian Wilson circa Smile, will find plenty to love here. -John Meagher
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Post by dannyboy on Jan 15, 2010 21:06:47 GMT -5
I completely agree with the above comment about LTA. For a while now, I've heard a similarity between some of Owen's music and Sufjan's and this song only brings further comparisons to mind. I also understand the connections to Rufus and Jens, although I still feel Owen blows them all out of the water!
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Post by clare on Jan 16, 2010 9:03:13 GMT -5
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Post by nocturn on Jan 16, 2010 13:14:19 GMT -5
After making his name as the orchestral arranger on Arcade Fire's stunning debut album, Funeral, as well as working wonders with Andrew Bird and Patrick Wolf Press about Owen often mentions how he has worked with Patrick Wolf... okay, I saw them perform together live one time, there's a joint-interview floating about on the web, and they have a fair amount of fan crossover. But unless my mind has gone COMPLETELY blank, Owen has never worked on a Wolf song, Wolf has never worked on a FF song, and they've never worked on any projects together. So why does it always get mentioned? |
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Post by jules on Jan 16, 2010 15:07:13 GMT -5
Yeah and the bit about The Box... |
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Post by yevveh on Jan 16, 2010 15:44:04 GMT -5
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Post by Scarychips on Jan 16, 2010 16:16:20 GMT -5
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Post by yevveh on Jan 16, 2010 16:25:19 GMT -5
Man, that's sparked up some good memories. I spent the summer in Montreal and read the Mirror every week. |
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Post by sarpedon on Jan 16, 2010 16:36:56 GMT -5
After making his name as the orchestral arranger on Arcade Fire's stunning debut album, Funeral, as well as working wonders with Andrew Bird and Patrick Wolf Press about Owen often mentions how he has worked with Patrick Wolf... okay, I saw them perform together live one time, there's a joint-interview floating about on the web, and they have a fair amount of fan crossover. But unless my mind has gone COMPLETELY blank, Owen has never worked on a Wolf song, Wolf has never worked on a FF song, and they've never worked on any projects together. So why does it always get mentioned? Just be glad we don't have a flood of "Wolf Board" members... that site is slowly evolving into 4chan. |
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Post by dot on Jan 16, 2010 16:58:57 GMT -5
Just be glad we don't have a flood of "Wolf Board" members... that site is slowly evolving into 4chan. Just because we don't go around advertising it, doesn't mean we aren't here. Though, I guess I'm not exactly flooding in...I've been lurking here for the past two years and I'm not exactly a regular wolfboarder, but I've posted a fair lot more than here. Also, I have no idea what 4chan is. Anyway, back on topic, I'm happy to see that the reviews are generally all very positive even if many of them spend most of the review talking the name change, how much they liked/disliked He Poos Clouds and comparing Owen to various other artists, rather than Heartland. |
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Post by nocturn on Jan 16, 2010 18:41:49 GMT -5
Just be glad we don't have a flood of "Wolf Board" members... that site is slowly evolving into 4chan. Hahaha! Guys, I certainly don't want to fall out with anyone here, but I'm a wolfboard member, too, and a fairly 'faithful' one at that. In an 'I'm not so keen on hearing anything bad about it and have been there a few years' kind of way. Dot! I know Dot. Dot is awesome. There are also several other Wolfboard members on this here board... I could name about five you probably haven't noticed, so.. yeah  We don't all love Patrick Wolf, either. Or even like him, at all. 'Tis a mad world. Back on the subject, though: The two musicians may know each other, but they have never worked together, no? People just seem to get their information about that wrong all the time. |
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Post by Peter Heke on Jan 16, 2010 19:40:23 GMT -5
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Post by sorrowbynature on Jan 16, 2010 20:30:29 GMT -5
Just be glad we don't have a flood of "Wolf Board" members... that site is slowly evolving into 4chan. Hahaha! Guys, I certainly don't want to fall out with anyone here, but I'm a wolfboard member, too, and a fairly 'faithful' one at that. In an 'I'm not so keen on hearing anything bad about it and have been there a few years' kind of way. We don't all love Patrick Wolf, either. Or even like him, at all. 'Tis a mad world. And you even have a slightly lurking Wolfboard moderator among you.  I do however agree with the fact that Patrick seems to have given a lot of his originality, humble personality and talent to the birds and therefore, Owen wins over fans this time around. At least I think that's what's going on with the sudden influx of people on here. That being said, I've listened to FF/Owen Pallett for almost as long as I've been a PW fan. And yes, the Wolfboard used to be a nice place, but now it's more or less just 16-year old girls posting photos of themselves and starting polls. Sorry if I offend anyone from the Wolfboard by saying this, but it's mostly true. /end of pointless off-topic rant /t |
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