Owen Pallett A Swedish Love Story EP (Domino)
4/5
By: Liane Escorza
There’s no denying that Owen Pallet has itchy feet. Not only because he is now releasing a new EP, A Swedish Love Story, only a few months after his critically acclaimed album Heartland hit the record stores, but also because this sense of urgency is as readily spottable in his music as it is in is release schedule. Here, we’re presented with an exuberant four-part body of work that is emotionally curious, pure, sweet, energetic and not a little bit cheeky.
‘Scandal at the Parkade’ is the key track here, and it’ll leave you breathless with its sheer technical display of musicianship. Pallet is of course a master at the violin, and this 3 minute, anxious and dramatic composition of intertwined strings and frenetic dances of scratchy spiccatos and martelés is nothing more than a reassurance that as long as a sound is in his head, it is undeniably possible to make it a reality. ‘Honour The Dead, Or Else’ follows introducing a nostalgic undulating melody on keyboard which converts into beautiful sadness when layers of strings surface on the background and a piano are added, tiptoeing timidly.
Pallett was classically trained, and is one of many songwriters of late putting such knowledge and skill to good use by mixing the genre with an approachable pop nous, without sounding at all off-putting or mediocre – rather, he and his like are taking my affections by storm.
Artists in this article: Owen Pallett
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