Best in Music: June 2006 Edition

Final Fantasy - He Poos Clouds (Tomlab)

Forget about the fact that he unimaginatively shares a name with one of the most successful video game franchises in history, or the fact that the title for this second album is extremely frivolous, or the fact that it uses the eight schools of magic in Dungeons & Dragons as inspiration. Owen Pallett’s brand of chamber pop is ingenious; or at least, ingenious enough to make me wish I could play the violin. With this second album, Pallett, who solely makes up Final Fantasy, has successfully unified pop catchiness and complex classical instrumentation together into a flawless representation of his ambitions. Pallett doesn’t just “poo clouds”, but he poos majestic clouds of illustrious string quartet imagination, expanding on the minimal vocal-violin-loop pedal combination of his rushed first album. Lyrically, Pallett is just as brilliant, writing about modern melodrama in a colorful way. The characters he touches on—dating introverts, video game overenthusiasts, impotent Torontonian real estate agents—are engaging, even if they’re all hopeless and all in the brink of suicide. Along with his evocative arrangement, his storytelling invents an escapism for listeners to get lost into. So, forget that the album title stinks. A Final Fantasy album by any other name smells (or sounds) just as sweet.

[Arctic Circle | He Poos Clouds | This Lamb Sells Condos]

Regina Spektor - Begin To Hope (Sire)

The majority of the tracks in Regina Spektor’s major label debut album would fit right in mainstream radio. That’s not meant to be an insult, though; Begin To Hope is her most accessible effort and it illustrates what mainstream pop is capable of, if not dumb-downed. Her melodies are equally captivating as anyone on the radio, but it’s sketched to occasionally twist and turn away from the monotonous. Her tender and innocent voice, which remains her most essential asset, can rival any elite songbirds. However, its excellence wasn’t boasted using labored vocal runs or ho-downed lip-synchs. Instead, it’s showcased effortlessly with accidental emotional cracks and invincible vibrato. Her lyrics are surreal and playfully cynical, but it’s delivered with such appealing sarcasm. You’ll smirk right along with her as she sings about hotel love affairs, Biblical jezebels, and Guns N’ Roses solos. The major label contributions of David Kahne does result in a glossier production, the melodies are addictive enough and the lyrics are quirky enough so that the elaborate production can’t make too much of an impact. Plus, her voice is ethereal enough that it can withstand additional surrounding instruments. In a perfect world, Spektor should rule the airwaves. I guess I can only “begin to hope” for that to happen.

[Samson | On The Radio | Hotel Song]

Hot Chip - The Warning (DFA/Astralwerks)

In a way, this London quintet’s debut, Coming On Strong, and their second album, The Warning, can be both called “confident”. However, each release may take up a different meaning of the word. Whereas the debut is overwhelmingly brash with its electronic pomposity, The Warning is mature and comfortable in its own skin. In this album, Hot Chip turns the emotional dial up a notch and attempts to add genuine warmth into electronic production, much like what New Order attempted to do decades ago or what The Postal Service attempted to do more recently. This results into a more welcoming effort, which is certainly a refreshing turnabout from the debut’s self-assurance. The funkish production of Coming On Strong is truncated, as well, in favor of more ambient sounds. Gliding synths and gently skittering drum machines makes a bed for Chip’s delicate soulful melodies to lie on. The melodies are charmingly glistened by a dual-octave harmony by Alexis Taylor and Joe Goddard, reminiscent to what Kings of Convenience sounded like when DJ Kicked. Higher-octaved Taylor croons with such natural affection that it’s hard not to be invigorated. While the album is a cautionary notice that Hot Chip is drifting away from their debut’s style, The Warning demonstrates that it’s a drift towards electo-soul superiority.

[And I Was A Boy From School | Colours | So Glad To See You]