The indie pop band released Spectrum, 14^th Century, a short but very sweet EP; just a few days ago (and only a few weeks after the release of Spectrum), Pallett came out another EP, entitled Plays to Please. And please it does.

Final Fantasy is a band that knows how to keep its fans happy.  The indie pop band (which is essentially Canadian artist Owen Pallett) released Spectrum, 14^th Century, a short but very sweet EP; just a few days ago (and only a few weeks after the release of Spectrum), Pallett came out another EP, entitled Plays to Please. And please it does.

Owen Pallett’s not-so-humble beginnings stemmed from his career as violinist of the revered indie band, Arcade Fire. His first solo record, Has a Good Home, was a beautiful debut that cast Pallett as an extremely talented singer and violinist.

Final Fantasy’s second album, He Poos Clouds (yeah, it’s a great title), was also a smash hit with its underground fan base. This record steered Final Fantasy away from its previous sound, which was pretty and melodic, towards a sound that was more experimental, but still rooted in violin, piano and vocals.

Spectrum, 14^th Century, on the other hand, is a much greater departure from Final Fantasy’s original sound. The violin, while still present, plays a much less prominent role than before. The tracks are generally noisier than any of Pallett’s previous songs. The background fuzz, drone instruments and special effects create a sound that is reminiscent of more experimental acts, such as Animal Collective and Patrick Wolf.

Which leads us back to Final Fantasy’s newest release, Plays to Please. It is much easier to see the progression of Pallett’s music when Spectrum is taken into account. The albums are very similar instrumentally, but also very different stylistically.

Spectrum, 14^th Century is darker, and more dissonant and experimental than Plays to Please. However, both albums feature an array of instruments, from violin to flute to double bass to various horns. The sound from Pallett’s recent works is much rounder than his earlier works; the difference in sound is like the difference between one violin and an entire symphony orchestra.

Plays to Please is a pleasantly upbeat record (for the most part). From the beginning of the EP you can tell that there is something very odd about its tone and style. It’s oddly…theatrical. Listening to Plays to Please made me feel a lot like I was watching some sort of live musical from the fifties, where each track off the CD was a different act from the play. In other words, the composition of the EP is great; listening to the whole thing through is easy and enjoyable.

The EP opens with “Horsetail Feathers,” my favorite track off the short record. Jazzy and smooth, “Horsetail Feathers” is the perfect album opener. The song is very heavy on the brass instruments, creating a loud, optimistic feeling.

The second track, “Ultimatum,” sounds more like the Final Fantasy of He Poos Clouds. This is probably because of the bigger role that the violins play in the song. I like “Ultimatum” a lot; the tone of the song is very unique—strangely adventurous and urgent.

 “Moodring Band,” is eerie and melancholy. It moves slowly from one discordant chord to the next, while still maintaining a charming vocal-based melody. (Though the lyrics are uncharacteristically crude…). The song is interesting, but I don’t think it’s quite up to par with some of the other songs off the EP.

The next track, “I Saved a Junky Once,” is suspenseful and dark. Although initially intriguing, the song gets a bit stale. There is not enough unison to hold the song together. However, the percussion is jumpy and syncopated in some parts of the song, which makes it moderately catchy.

“Nun or Bawd” is a nice pick-me-up after the last two tracks. The tone is much like that of  “Horsetail Feathers.” It’s very smooth, while still distinctive and interesting. The alternating interval jumps of the horns make the song fun and easy to listen to. The lyrics are hilarious, and fitting for the lighthearted mood of the song: “Gonna get me a girlfriend and do whatever she says / Even if I feel like a manager or a passenger or furniture/ Gonna get me a friend and do whatever she says.”

The last track, “Crush-Love-Crush” ends the record as brilliantly as “Horsetail Feathers” begins it. Pallett’s singing is more passionate in this one song than in any of the others off Plays to Please. It is eerie and compelling, and builds up very nicely to a creepy instrumental climax. Then, the song fades out to Pallett’s gasping whispers of “Crush, love, crush love…”and all of the noisy instrumentals turn into a single, optimistic chord.

4/5 woovies