No more must Owen Pallett enthusiasts resort to live YouTube videos to listen to him in earnest. Those who loved him back when he was Final Fantasy (er, a month ago) have been waiting for the one-man orchestra-the one who ends an emotionally charged, layered coda onstage with a meek 'thank you'-to let both the fierce Pallett and the bashful one loose on record.

Instead, he took advantage of the studio with an intense, fully developed ('ctrl-F' this phrase on reviews of his previous albums) vision that merges, rather than juxtaposes, his two selves. Not only do strings back up his gentle, affected voice, but they anxiously swarm around him, taking Heartland in so many previously unexplored directions.

"Keep the Dog Quiet" works off a seductive rhythm, giving only a split-second's rest before "Mount Alpentine" builds on the previous track's growth rather than ignoring it. When "Red Sun No. 5" reaches its midway point, Pallett's violin begins its trademarked deceptively minor riff where a few somber notes lure the listener in, only to kick the piece to an upbeat section instilling hope in a listener looking only for empathy. The other strings, though, have something to say about Pallett making the same move for a third straight album. His violin instead restates, then revisits, the current theme. The individual piece doesn't do too much, allowing the album to accomplish more as a sum. While carefree Pallett shines later on "Tryst For Mephistopheles," and his newfound confidence (and drumbeat) gives his crooning "I'm never gonna give it to you," an empowering, merry spin in "Lewis Takes Off His Shirt," "Red Sun" must first reach its minor-key climax.

Nothing is hodgepodge about Heartland, and rather than an outlet for the former Final Fantasy's many cool ideas, Owen Pallett presents one outstanding, unified one: all of him at once.