View Larger
Rate it!
Avg: 4.0 (87 ratings)
- Date Released: June 13, 2006
- Genre: Alternative/Punk
- Style: Indie Rock, Indie Pop
- Label: Tomlab / SC Distribution
-
We Say...
Such a base, blunt title for such grand, ornamental music! Final Fantasy take the concept of "orchestral pop" to its logical extreme, writing small, intricate symphonies that pulse and soar. Owen Pallett — who serves as a touring member for such indiepop luminaries as Arcade Fire and the Hidden Cameras — is Fantasy's sole member, a fact hard to discern from the music's incredible stateliness. "The Arctic Circle" moves from a china-delicate intro to a tense and surging bridge, Pallett moving the melody line further and further up the scale until it finally collapses. The title track is like a mash-up between "Eleanor Rigby" and the theme from Psycho, mad sawing strings and an off-kilter time signature. Final Fantasy offers a kind of pop-classical, a hybrid that's as unlikely as it is spellbinding.
-
They Say...
Owen Pallett, the man behind the curtain of Toronto's aptly named Final Fantasy, describes He Poos Clouds as "an eight-song cycle about the eight schools of magic in Dungeons & Dragons." Deception (when used correctly) is one of the oldest and truest art forms, and Pallett should get an award for not producing either a wimpy and ironic whine-fest that utilizes childhood fantasies to dispel adult social anxieties or a sardonic lo-fi power metal record that pays "tribute" to the sword-wielding epics of Iron Maiden and Dio. Instead, the one-man classically trained Canadian string section -- think Andrew Bird and Patrick Wolf -- has created a gem of a baroque pop record that manages to appeal to both the bespectacled hipster and the disgruntled orchestra student. Employing a measured croon caught somewhere between Scott Walker and Louis Philippe with a soft Donovan-esque vibrato, Pallett assumes the position of narrator on the opening track, an ornate snapshot of youthful longing that manages to balance lyrics like "she has a heart that will never melt" and "but the quarry don't share his taste for Anne McCaffery" with equal parts heartbreak and bravado -- he shares more than a little in common, both musically and lyrically, with the Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon. Alternately dissonant and willfully melodic, each track that follows carries with it the possibility of either a crushing sigh of defeat ("I'm Afraid of Japan") or a violent outburst of passion (the one-two punch of the lilting and rhythmic "Song Song Song" and ultra-dramatic/dynamic "Many Lives 49 MP"), making He Pools Clouds far more dangerous than it is cloying and pretentious, despite all of its intentions otherwise.
“ The indie iTunes — Hardcore music fans are migrating to eMusic, the iTunes Music Store's cheaper, cooler cousin.”
Rolling Stone
eMusic Tip
Paid downloads are counted towards an album discount but free downloads are not.
COMPLETE FOR FREE!
You can download the rest of the tracks from this album for free! Just click the Complete Album button.
We’re sorry this album can only be downloaded using paid subscription download credits.
We recommend you Save it for Later by clicking the Save for Later button shown just above this message. For a list of related albums you can download right now, check out these recommendations.
We'll give you 10 additional free credits to download this album and start your paid subscription.
Get 10 bonus credits on us if you download this album. Sweet!
| 01. |  |
The Arctic Circle |
4:24 |
|
| 02. | |
He Poos Clouds |
3:31 |
|
| 03. | |
This Lamb Sells Condos |
4:39 |
|
| 04. | |
If I Were a Carp |
4:03 |
|
| 05. | |
----> |
0:57 |
|
| 06. | |
I'm Afraid of Japan |
3:56 |
|
| 07. | |
Song Song Song |
4:31 |
|
| 08. | |
Many Lives 49 MP |
2:56 |
|
| 09. | |
Do You Love? |
3:03 |
|
| 10. | |
The Pooka Sings |
5:25 |
|
10 Total Tracks, 37:25 Total Length
Loading...
Playlists If you like Final Fantasy, check out these member playlists
Credits
- Paul Hodge - Engineer // Bob Wiseman - Accordion // Loretto Reid - Concertina // George Graves - Mastering // Lori Cullen - Vocals // Owen Pallett - Organ // Owen Pallett - Bass // Owen Pallett - Piano // Owen Pallett - Arranger // Owen Pallett - Harpsichord // Owen Pallett - Viola // Owen Pallett - Vocals // Doug Tielli - Trombone // Lex Vaughn - Monologue // Jesse Foster - Shouts // Leon Taheny - Percussion // Leon Taheny - Engineer
Choose from over 7 million
music downloadseMusic features legendary and emerging artists in every genre: classic rock to classical,indie to international, soundtracks to spiritual, jazz to country and many more.
MP3 downloads work on any digital media player
With eMusic, you OWN your music without any restrictions. Burn music to a CD, play it on your computer, mobile phone or any digital media player - including iPod®, Zune® and Walkman®.
Songs available for 50¢ or less
eMusic subscriptions start at just $11.99 a month for 24 downloads - that's just 50¢ per song! And it gets better from there - our plans go as low as 42¢ per song!
Music Discovery
eMusic is about discovery. We make finding new music fun again with music recommendations from our award-winning team of music experts, member playlists and new music features.
Cancel anytime
With all the great music and site features we're pretty sure you will love eMusic. If not, no problem. You can cancel at any time and keep the music you have downloaded.
© 1992 - 2009 All Media Guide, LLC