Sprawling and airy, “The Phone Call” is Owen Pallett’s newest offering of delicately arranged, spacious synth pop. Following up his 2014 full length, In Conflict, “The Phone Call” is the latest track from this year’s Adult Swim Singles program, which releases a free single each week of the summer from a wide range of contributing artists. In the fourth week of the series, Pallett follows new music from D∆WN, Cherry Glazerr, and Kitty.
Floating gracefully over sparkling piano and swelling, orchestra-mimicking synths, Pallett’s tender croon is swaddled in ghostly reverb, the lyrics almost concealed. With a vaporious digital fill as a ’90s-inspired reminder that we’re in the 21st century, Pallett teases a large, engulfing sound out of a sparse, minimalist arrangement. Proving that less really is more, the track is as passionate as it is calm, and as beautiful as it is haunting.
