Send "Owen Pallett " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Pitchfork |
 Even in the indulgent world of concept albums, Owen Pallett's Heartland was out there: On that record, Pallett created Spectrum, a fictional universe where a misanthropic, "ultra-violent farmer" named Lewis tended the land, and each of the album's songs were his monologues. Sometimes they were even addressed to Pallett himself. Despite this, Heartland managed to be Pallett's most accessible album to date.The four-track EP A Swedish Love Story is a continuation of Heartland, and reflects Pallett's new live setup, which features multi-instrumentalist Thomas Gill augmenting Pallett's once-solo performances. Gill's presence provides Pallett more flexibility onstage, and apparently in the studio too, as this EP nudges Pallett's sound into slightly less familiar territory. While Heartland opened up his previously razor-thin aesthetic to electronics and percussion, the most noticeable addition here is the increased use of synthetic drum sounds. Pallett mostly crafts fussy orchestral pop, and the addition of beats (albeit polite ones) hints that his elegant but forceful stringwork wouldn't be out of place in a more danceable setting. The shift is most pronounced on "Don't Stop", which rigs a juddering hip-hop beat to slightly dissonant violin in service of Pallett's graceful melodies-- which, by the way, are every bit as anthemic as those of his Arcade Fire colleagues. Despite the EP title, A Swedish Love Story is nowhere as cohesive or fluid as Heartland. Pallett usually works in set pieces, but here the lyrics leave a little too much to the imagination-- you'd need a libretto, or at least a productive gchat with Pallett himself, to fill in the blanks. Perhaps the biggest revelation is one that should've been clear all along-- that Pallett's blanched vocal tone isn't far removed from the mid-80s bedsit pop it's sometimes compared to. "Honour the Dead, or Else" is evidence enough of that, with its Morrissey-level misery situated amongst flanged guitars, hollowed kettle drums, and a plucked violin that veers ever so close to a synthesizer string tone....full text |
| Onethirtybpm |
| Halfway through “Honour the Dead, or Else,” the third track on the A Swedish Love Story EP by Owen Pallett, the listener comes to realise something. Pallett makes his music so charming and simple to listen to; he becomes almost an old friend even to those unfamiliar with his relatively small discography thus far. He’s a likeable character, which counts for much in the musical world even before he opens his mouth. Of course, Pallett’s shy nature adds to his appeal. Once performing under the name ‘Final Fantasy’, Pallett hid himself beneath a wave of violin cuts and simple, inoffensive melodies. Although Square Enix, the company behind the ‘Final Fantasy’ franchise may have pressured Pallett to drop the moniker, it did little to affect his overall sound, which is displayed wonderfully on this short, four-track EP. Satisfyingly, the four tracks on the A Swedish Love Story EP are a fantastic demonstration of what Pallett has come to do very well. Simply put, Pallett’s music is incredibly easy on the palette. Terrible puns aside, the EP is pretty standard fair for Pallett, albeit of a high quality throughout. The only major surprise is a slightly electronic opening to the first track, “A Man With No Ankles.” This track opens the EP well, with a lovely vocal performance from Pallett, who delivers wonderful violin flourishes at just the right time. One of Pallett’s main draws is his ability to play a violin and make it central to his sound. Pallett doesn’t over-indulge in this particular novelty, thankfully, instead using his expert knowledge of composition to flesh these already pleasant songs out with his instrument of choice. Often classical – take the beautiful arrangement that opens “Scandal at the Parkade” – and always delightful, Pallett makes this EP sound like a breeze. Songs float by with gorgeous blends of violin and keyboard, as well as, in certain tracks, gentle percussion. The final weapon up Pallett’s arsenal, however, is also perhaps his greatest strength. As a vocalist he sings with a masterful timbre; soft most of the time and truly fitting for the music that he weaves. And it is true to suggest that these songs have been woven together like some sort of fantastical tapestry: melodies are articulate and develop slowly, completely breath-taking to listen to and get lost in....full text |
| Themusicslut |
| Surprise! Owen Pallett made you a sandwich! It comes in the form of his new Swedish Love Story EP. The bread is upbeat, with the usual bulk of Pallett’s pizzicato strings doing their best synthesizer impression. The book-ends of the EP are bleary-eyed and bouncy. The meat of the album showcases Owen, back doing his neo-classical routine, and doing it very well, as usual, with layers of leaping violin counter-melodies. This EP is a success and a truly fluid listen, because despite the outer tracks and inner tracks forming a stark line between Pallett’s musical hemispheres, they also (via key and imagery) play very, very well together. “Honour the Dead, or else” is the only track on the album that really makes a dedicated effort to marry the two musical faces of the EP, and it adds up to a very compelling sound. Here’s hoping that’s where we’re headed in future releases from Owen....full text |
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