Search - Final Fantasy :: He Poos Clouds

He plays violin

E. A Solinas | MD USA | 10/19/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"No, this is not THAT Final Fantasy. This is Owen Pallett, who has backed up the Hidden Cameras and Arcade Fire, and whose classical training comes in handy for some of the weirdest pop out there. "He Poos Clouds" is a bizarre mixup of atheism, death, experimental violin and... Dungeons and Dragons.



It opens with a sharp classical violin solo, which makes you sit up straight. "She drives a little white car to the seminar on Modern Romance/Possible possible ideas for a date include... a shooting range/And her chest is full to bursting with thoughts of an evening..." murmurs Pallett, telling a story of two people who long for love, but have hearts "that will never melt."



He trips through a tense, heart-pouncing ode to fantasy ("Gotta rescue Michael from the White Witch!/Gotta find and kill my shadow self!") and into all varieties of oddball violin'n'piano pop: eerie sea ballads, trippy one-minute songs, swirling experimental pop, and everything that lies in between those styles.



The peak of the album is "This Lamb Sells Condos," an exquisite piano-led ballad with obscure D&D references melting into the real life. Halfway through the song, the strings quietly smother the piano in a quavery blanket, and a chorus of angelic voices sing hopeless lyrics. It's absolutely stunning.



Classical and experimental existentialist geek rock -- what exactly can you call this style? Well, whatever it is, it sounds quite different from the rawer, more down-to-earth sound of Final Fantasy's first album, with a more ethereal sound and more cultivated lyrics.



The core of this album is Pallett's violin skills, which have a prominent place in every song. The violin sings, shivers, slashes and just dances through the songs; at times it sounds like a soundtrack, moving along in peculiar jumps and leaps. The ethereal edge is enhanced by some well-placed horns and timpani, and that angelic choir.



The music is only enhanced more by his slightly rambling, literate lyrics, sung in a smooth, meditative voice, with the occasional anguished wail when the song demands it. Not only does he write like a modern Wallace Stevens, but Pallett peppers his music with references to Yukio Mishima, designer clothes, Anne McCaffrey, Flann O'Brien, and (of course) D&D. ("And then as an apprentice, he took a Drowish mistress/Who bestowed upon his youthfulness a sense of Champagne Chic...")



Sounding like a depressed fanboy, with a violin in hand, Final Fantasy's second album is an exquisite, downbeat pleasure of good music. Absolutely fascinating."

One of my best finds of 2006

Vincent Keating | Halifax, NS Canada | 01/02/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's difficult to describe exactly what this album is, and that's far more of a complement than a detraction. The closest I could come is 'classically-influenced experimental pop,' but that doesn't quite do it justice. The classical influence is very 20th century, but think more Shostakovitch instead of Schoenberg - there is a central tonality that is dominant event around the more dissonant bits. The orchestration is primarily strings, piano and tympani. The result is this exquisite blend of interesting musical experimentation and pop sensibilities.



Because it is somewhat experimental, it is likely not for everyone. However, if you are looking for something a little challenging and out of the ordinary, I can't recommend a better album from this year."

Great!

W. S. Oman | Chicago, IL | 08/07/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Although I liked "Has A Good Home" better as an entire album, any of the songs on "He Poos Clouds" (especially "This Lamb Sells Condos") could rank among the best of 2006."