Owen Pallett, "Heartland"

Owen Pallett, Heartland; Domino, 2010

Owen Pallett has made his name as the string composer working with the likes of the Arcade Fire and performing under the moniker Final Fantasy, however his album, Heartland, is a coming out party for someone who has hid behind different identities for far too long.

Pallett’s earlier work is known for his delicate string arrangements and his schoolboy-like voice, Heartland, however, is a far more ambitious project. Pallett enlists the Czech Philharmonic to punctuate the album with a vast orchestral quality while not being afraid to throw an electronic element into the mix.

Perhaps the most striking element is the narrative Pallett weaves throughout. Skillfully written and borrowing from old European legends, religious imagery and the world of fantasy novels and games, Heartland tells the story of an ‘ultra-violent farmer’ named Lewis living in the world of Spectrum. In this setting he comes to grips with his creator—a deity named ‘Owen’. Pallett tells a tale of a deep searching and struggle for understanding in ones place as a created being. The concepts of faith, power and control bubble up to the surface while a wrestling match between creaturely autonomy and an underlying spirituality is fought and ultimately lay  unresolved, giving an excellent picture of modern culture’s struggle with Christianity.