In Conflict
Domino/EMI
Owen Pallett is one of those artists who has a fair bit of the King Midas about him. Whether he be arranging strings for Taylor Swift, touring with The Arcade Fire or penning Academy Award nominated soundtracks to films such as Her, he is building a reputation for spinning gold. His lesser-known works are probably those recorded under his own name, but that doesn’t make them any less stellar.
In Conflict is the Toronto musician and video game aficionado’s fourth solo album (with the first two being recorded under the Final Fantasy moniker) and most direct line of communication with his listeners than any of Pallett’s releases to date. Sweeping violin kicks of the album during I Am Not Afraid with upfront vocals addressing the failings of the flesh with a falsetto that Andrew Bird would be proud of.
Pallett addresses the human psyche as he sings tales of love that are led more by the grey matter than the loins. In Conflict is the most personal record that Pallett has penned, and in doing so is his most accessible. May the masses jump on board.
CHRIS HAVERCROFT
