Final Fantasy

When was the last time a violinist made you swoon? Better still: When was the last time a violinist's voice brought a tear to your eye? Bet it was the last time Owen Pallett went to work on ya. The young fiddler is best known as the stringer for the oh-so-dramatic Arcade Fire. But his own rich solo works in Final Fantasy prove to be as complexly timed, jolting and strikingly theatrical as any of his main gig's blazing ragers. Take, for example, He Poos Clouds, his new CD for Tomlab. Pallett's chamber-based instrumentation and arrangements bob and weave through even the softest melodies. But it's his aching lively alto voice — a dancing moan, really — and dippy lyrical romanticism that'd prick Rufus Wainright's ears. Put all these elements together and you have some truly delightful Poo on your hands. Doesn't that bring a tear to your eye?