Owen Pallett - Heartland (Domino)

Final Fantasy was a lame name for the experimental rock artist Owen Pallett. Naming yourself after a video game gives the wrong impression to anyone who doesn't know Pallett's musical qualities. The growth that Pallett has shown on his third album Heartland not only articulate his quality as a musician but as a composer as well with beautifully arranged string and orchestra pieces.

According to Pallett, Heartland is based on a "young, ulta-violent farmer" named Lewis who is controlled by an all-powerful narrator named Owen. The songs are all one-sided dialogues with Lewis speaking to Owen. The lyrics reflect theological questions about the nature of fate and deep topics. But all in all, Pallett just says it's about him.

Pallett's skill as a composer is showcased beautifully through and through on Heartland. From the plucked "bass line" of cellos, basses and violins on "Keep the Dog Quiet" to the very moving string movement towards the end of "The Great Elsewhere", the influence of classical music just reeks through the music. Besides just being a classical junkie, Pallett also shows his musicianship with very fitting and mellow keyboard lines that especially fit on tracks like "Lewis Takes Off His Shirt" and "Red Sun No. 5".

The very insightful lyrics that Pallett inscribes on the musical barriers are lucid and fit with the mood of the album. "The sun sped accross the plains like the cinematic moment/Where humanity and nature collide," breaths Pallett on the more tense quiet moments on "Tryst With Mephistopheles". Pallett speaks a lot of epic randomness that floods the album. The lyrics read like a incredibly confusing short story that is based on one theme of psychology.

Pallett evokes emotion like no other baroque pop artist I've come in contact with. A feeling of triumph is felt every time I play "Lewis Takes Off His Shirt". The feeling of conquering dominance and pushing through is just emitted through that track and is corresponded with the rest of the LP.

A first listen of Heartland may not sound as gentle and flowing as a third of fourth listen. The baroque pop qualities never falter to a less suitable sound that doesn't satisfy the hunger for a very diverse style album. Who needs electric guitars and fancy drum sets when you can have full rich mellow orchestrations. The soaring lyrics that gently slide over the orchestrations of Pallett are beautiful and define a very beautiful baroque pop album.

Overall: 8.6/10.0

Track Listing:

1. Midnight Directives - 9.0
2. Keep the Dog Quiet - 9.0
3. Mount Alpentine - 8.0
4. Red Sun No. 5 - 8.5
5. Lewis Takes Action - 8.5
6. The Great Elsewhere - 8.5
7. Oh Heartland, Up Yours! - 9.5
8. Lewis Takes Off His Shirt - 9.0
9. Flare Gun - 8.0
10. E Is For Estranged - 8.5
11. Tryst With Mephistopheles - 9.0
12. What Do You Think Will Happen Now? - 8.5

Sample:

"Lewis Takes Off His Shirt (Live)"

Sleigh Bells - Treats (N.E.E.T./Mom + Pop)

Imagine a teen pop singer run into a hardcore noise rocker who enjoys danceable hip-hop.What in the world would you get out of that? I've got an answer; Sleigh Bells. The Brooklyn, New Yokers bring out there debut album Treats after gaining tremendous attention from the likes of New York Times, Pitchfork, and other sources from their online released demos and singles off the M.I.A. label N.E.E.T..

Treats is set up like a traditional pop album. Average 32 minute run time, short two to three minute songs, one definitive single ("Tell 'Em"), boy does that not describe Treats in anyway. Sleigh Bells releases one of the loudest, rough record of the year so far. With layers of heavily distorted guitar, out of place (yet unique) female vocals of Alexis Krauss and hip-hop beats underneath all the loud noise. It really sounds like nothing else.

The vocals are truly the biggest downfall for the album. Though it is unique and diverse and stays fresh between songs, Krauss's teen pop voice just doesn't work. The only song that has above mediocre vocals is the most inventive and accessible song "Rill Rill" which sounds really identicle to M.I.A.. But songs like "Crown On the Ground" and "A/B Machines" where voice just doesn't blend at all with the music going on.

The noisy quality of the album is really something for hardcore noise pop fans. Put unlike other notable noise rockers like No Age or legends The Jesus Lizards, Sleigh Bells bring in unique elements like hip-hop and dance to their sound. On the opening track "Tell 'Em" the heavy bass beats clash head on with the synths that producer and guitarist Derek Miller crafts together have the dynamics of two dueling dragons. The dynamics of Treats is a very brave and tenacious effort. It's one of those albums where it is just so unbearably loud like a lot of hardcore punk and heavy metal LPs.

The song structure is basic dancing beats that follow a constant rhythm throughout the entirety of the tracks. It sounds jagged and not natural and greatly lessens the quality of the record. The only song that really flows beautiful is "Rill Rill". The studio trickery that is used on "Rill Rill" is one of the most inventive of 2010. The guitar sounds like it's going backwards and yet has a driving force to it. Using complex chords, Miller's shining moment of simple acoustics is more enjoyable than the piercing screams of the electric guitar.

One of the most challenging and loud albums of the year, Treats has little to offer for someone with a need for relaxing music. The blurry distortion of "Crown On the Ground" takes making music tense to a whole new level. With just one enjoyable song ("Rill Rill") Sleigh Bells don't impress despite the very unique sound that is like nothing in music today.

Overall: 4.6/10.0

Track Listing:

1. Tell 'Em - 5.0
2. Kids - 4.0
3. Riot Rhythm - 5.0
4. Infinity Guitars - 6.5
5. Run the Heart - 4.0
6. Rachel - 4.0
7. Rill Rill - 8.5
8. Crown On the Ground - 4.0
9. Straight A's - 3.5
10. A/B Machines - 6.5
11. Treats - 5.0

Sample:

"Infinity Guitars (Live)"

The Morning Benders - Big Echo (Rough Trade)

The Morning Benders are a indie pop band from Berkeley, California and have a knack for creating catchy, cavernous songs that have heavy influence from Grizzly Bear. The Bender's first album, Talking Through a Tin Can, features very heavy guitar riffs that set the layers quite nicely for the songs creating a more lo-fi hazy feel. Now their second LP Big Echo brings out more electric fuzzy hazes throughout the album. The first two very attractive tracks "Excuses" and "Promises" might just sum up the whole album right then and there creating a very promising album.

The charm that The Morning Benders bring out immediately in "Excuses" can hook anybody to this album's interior and to get them even more excited is "Promises" a very guitar riff heavy song that progresses into a very exciting melody. But then they slow it down on "Wet Cement" creating a more swing feel to the tom-tom hits with very hazy guitars fluttering around the edge that creating a very pretty ballad.

The next track "Cold War (Nice Clean Fight)" is a short and quick quirky that has jangly guitars and very flowing vocals; "Spit it back now/Into the out/We want a nice clean fight/No blood, nobody/Where the end is near/Let's just be frank/Just let it sit, be still/We'll meet in the middle come on." The next song brings out the highlight of the whole LP, the very lazy "Pleasure Sighs" continues to build throughout the song and creates a beautiful climax of perfect harmony.

The rest of the album just brings out the lazy dreaminess of "Pleasure Sighs" and expands onto more echoes ("Hand Me Downs"), rough ("All Day Day Long") and shoegazy ("Sleeping In"). It's a very fun listen and very relaxing if you're looking for a very lazy album with a bit of some excitement.

They're like a more atmospheric and clearer Grizzly Bear, a lot less baroque too. It's a lot more unique then their debut Talking Through a Tin Can. The album art work is probably the best of the year I've seen, a beautiful oil painted picture of a grim sea side, which is exactly what The Bender's sound is like; very drift-laden and relaxing with a taste of a coming storm.

Overall: 8.5/10

Track Listing:

1. Excuses - 8.5
2. Promises - 9.0 *
3. Wet Cement - 8.5
4. Cold War (Nice Clean Fight) - 9.0 *
5. Pleasure Sighs - 9.0 *
6. Hand Me Downs - 8.0
7. Mason Jars - 8.5 *
8. All Day Day Light - 8.5
9. Stitches - 8.0
10. Sleeping In - 8.5

* - Notable Track

Sample:

"Promises"