Owen Pallett's Heartland

Owen Pallett, extraordinary one-man band and occasional contributor to the Arcade Fire, finally released his long-awaited Heartland this month. It's a work as impressive as it is ambitious. Where his previous album He Poos Clouds was pointedly minimal, Heartland is its opposite in being unabashedly vast--he uses a full orchestra in every damn song.

Heartland's sound is lush and complex, filled with woodwinds, horns, and strings complemented by a tasteful host of experimental electronic sounds, but it never gets excessively epic. Pallett's own voice is much less prominent than it was in his previous work, often distant and ephemeral behind the rich orchestral sound. He seems content to let the music do most of the speaking, and it works.

Give it a listen. It will break your heart. You won't be disappointed.

Owen Pallett - Lewis Takes Action
Owen Pallett - Tryst With Mephistopheles

By the way, he has officially dropped his old moniker, Final Fantasy, and will be going by his real name from now on, so update your tags.