Break in the action...

Because I can't stop laughing.

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Joanna Newsom- Have One On Me. Release Date- February 23rd, 2010 (Drag City)

Truth be told- In the past Joanna Newsom has scared the living crap out of me, and going by her voice I would have said she's a Succubus. Although I never would have denied that her music is beautiful, I definitely wouldn't have classified it as "enjoyable." Her new album Have One on Me lends itself to a more approachable Newsom, and while still slightly haunting, it will not give me nightmares.

I would give a track by track breakdown to the album, but with the album being 18 tracks long, spanning three CDs, I'm afraid doing so would make this review unreadable. Instead I'll venture through the songs I feel like define the album. "Easy"and "Esme" display the vocal change Newsom has made from past works, less eerie and more folksy. One thing that I've always appreciated about Newsom is her harp work, which can be heard on "81" and "Jackrabbits.""Good intentions Paving Company" and "No Provenance" feature a more orchestrated sound.

Long story short, the album is exhausting.
If you happen to believe in full album listens, as I do, this is a difficult album to break down. Like previously stated 18 songs long landscaped over 2 hours, with some tracks breaking 10 minutes. Ladies and Gentlemen, this a folk album. Maybe Yes can pull off that sort of things, but this a different monster. The worst part of it for me is my favorite song on the entire release is "On a Good Day," the only song that remains under 4 minutes. Maybe I'm predisposed to dislike folk music, I just have no idea how someone can make it through, and truly appreciate the whole album without zoning out or thinking Star Wars.

While the album is more tolerable than Newsom's previous works, it's much longer than any of them as well. Maybe if you're into 2 hour folk odysseys, you might enjoy it, but for me, I'd rather take a two hour nap and cut out the middleman.

Owen Pallett- Heartland, Release Date: January 12th 2010 (Domino)

Owen Pallett, formally known as Final Fantasy and better known as the only good thing about Arcade Fire released Heartland in the beginning of 2010. This is a stunning departure from his last release He Poos Clouds. While both records feature Palletts beautiful and defined string arrangements, unlike Clouds, Heartland does not scare the god-fearing piss out of me.

Heartland opens with “Midnight Detectives”, a track with confident curiosity that makes for a fun listen and thusly sets the tone for the rest of the album. “Keep the Dog Quiet” and “Mount Alpine” fade into one another, but even in their tenseness, they never become haunting, instead exciting. “Red Sun No. 5” is a welcome break in the action, setting a sense of peace with Pallett’s smooth and charming voice keeping the listener company. My favorite song on the album is easily “Lewis Takes Action,” an awkward pop strain that would make Brian Wilson proud. “The Great Elsewhere” is a new kind of song for Pallett, where he has subtly embraces an electronic sound. Despite what might be expected it works so well. “Oh, Heartland of Yours” is yet another spectacular example of how Pallett can utilize pop song structure to work for his orchestrations. “Lewis Takes Off His Shirt” is likely the most single-worthy song on the album and also a new venture for Pallett: danceability. Around “Flare Gun” “E is for Estranged” the album begins to sadly wear thin, but the builds of “Tryst of the Mephistopheles” provide the last excitement of the album. “What Do You Think Will Happen Now?” ends out the album like a much needed cigarette.

Damn. This guy is good.

Typically artists of Pallett’s caliber make stranger album albums with time, but I’m happy to see him get it out of his system on He Poos Clouds. Heartland is an elegant and majestic album, like riding a unicorn through Disneyland.

No exaggeration.