Albums to watch

Heartland

Owen Pallett

Heartland

Second album of offbeat chamber pop from the artist formerly known as Final Fantasy

ADM rating[?]

7.6

Label
Domino
UK Release date
11/01/2010
  1. 10.0 |   Blurt

    This is an album of ambition tempered with a mature softness of touch, an album that never once seems to be trying too hard
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  2. 9.0 |   The Quietus

    It is a good thing this drops in January. It will take at least a year to get acquainted with. The bloggers will wake up by December ... and Heartland lands squarely in their Top Albums of Whatever lists. But it’ll be there. The record is huge and affecting.
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  3. 9.0 |   God Is In The TV

    Few records with this level of ambition are so coolly executed, and only a musician as accomplished as Pallett could be capable of bringing everything together so succinctly
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  4. 9.0 |   Rave Magazine

    Heartland presents another instalment in Pallett’s ongoing project of combining pop music structures with orchestral accompaniment and his trademark introspective, witty lyrics
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  5. 9.0 |   FasterLouder

    Tryst With Mephistopheles could well be the finest song Pallett has ever penned and it’s only just being mentioned now should speak volumes of how much there is to explore and embrace on this wondrous record
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  6. 8.6 |   Pitchfork

    This stuff is rich with ideas, and they're offered in the kind of rich, warm sound that should be accessible to more fans than ever before. Those of you with the inclination to pick them up will find a lot to reward you
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  7. 8.5 |   The Line Of Best Fit

    Sharing this opus is his ultimate unselfish gift, validating whatever struggle Owen went through to finish this affecting, absorbing album, and proving that the end result, especially when it’s as beguiling as Heartland
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  8. 8.0 |   The Sunday Times

    Heartland is mad and sometimes overblown, but it has the feel of a masterpiece
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  9. 8.0 |   The Scotsman

    ... manages to make this ambitious, offbeat undertaking sound like the most natural expression of his pop vision
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  10. 8.0 |   The List

    Let him in. Give him time. He will rock you.
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  11. 8.0 |   The Irish Times

    Pallett’s quite lovely vocals, splashes of melody that equal the work of Brian Wilson and Neil Hannon, and his string-driven thing ensure that it’s the aural atmosphere, and not just the words, complete the tale
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  12. 8.0 |   Drowned In Sound

    Heartland is so vibrantly alive with sound that it makes Animal Collective look a wee bit emo
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  13. 8.0 |   Eye Weekly

    He’s clearly making huge strides, even within the well-established parameters of such a unique sound. Some might call it gimmicky; they would be wrong
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  14. 8.0 |   PopMatters

    Pallett has always known how to separate his music from the Renaissance Fair crowd even while appealing to it, but what is typically impressive about Heartland is just how good the record sounds
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  15. 7.0 |   Clash

    It’s the beautiful strings and waltzing rhythms which makes ‘Heartland’ a personal project that stands out above the rest
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  16. 7.0 |   NME

    There’s no denying that ‘Heartland’ is an overflowing well of musical creativity that leaves you feeling like you’ve missed something crucial if you let your attention drift
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  17. 6.0 |   Uncut

    Print edition only

  18. 6.0 |   The Skinny

    ...those who have picked their way through previous works might be left wondering where that precious restraint has gone
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  19. 6.0 |   The Guardian

    Wallow in Pallett's glorious arrangements (he's best known as provider of bespoke strings to Canadian indie bands) and his fabulous melodies
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  20. 6.0 |   Q

    Print edition only

  21. 4.0 |   Mojo

    Print edition only


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Owen Pallett: Heartland

  • Download full album for just £8.49
  • 1. Midnight Directives £0.89
  • 2. Keep The Dog Quiet £0.89
  • 3. Mount Alpentine £0.89
  • 4. Red Sun No. 5 £0.89
  • 5. Lewis Takes Action £0.89
  • 6. The Great Elsewhere £0.89
  • 7. Oh Heartland, Up Yours! £0.89
  • 8. Lewis Takes Off His Shirt £0.89
  • 9. Flare Gun £0.89
  • 10. E Is For Estranged £0.89
  • 11. Tryst With Mephistopheles £0.89
  • 12. What Do You Think Will Happen Now? £0.89
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