Final Fantasy On Rumble Strips Album

British soul/pop quintet The Rumble Strips will have a special guest on their new album.

Pianist/trumpeter/vocalist Henry Clark wrote in a Dec. 15 MySpace blog post that violinist Owen Pallett (who may be better known as Final Fantasy) will work on their new record.

"We've been back home for a couple of weeks now, and have spent some of that time holed up in a cosy London studio, putting the finishing touches to the record," Clark wrote on Monday. "It's been mostly vocals and (croaky) backing vocals this week - we won't be putting the strings down now until just before New Year. It'll be worth the wait though, because the arrangements are now going to be done by him out of Arcade-Fire, Owen Pallett, which is pretty proper."

The still untitled album is set for release in March by Fallout Records. The Rumble Strips have been working with producer Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen) on the follow-up to last year's Girls And Weather debut.

The Rumble Strips formed in Tavistock, England in 2004. The band consist of Clark, vocalist/guitarist Charlie Waller, sax player/vocalist/bassist Tom Gorbutt, drummer Matthew Wheeler and bassist/vocalist Sam Mansbridge. Waller and Wheeler are working on the forthcoming album's cover art.

The Rumble Strips have been asked to contribute a cover of a song from an Island Records artist for an album that will mark the label's 50th anniversary next year. Clark says they've narrowed their choices to Millie Small's "My Boy Lollipop" and Chaka Demus And Pliers' "Tease Me."

Final Fantasy released his Spectrum, 14th Century EP in September and the Plays To Please EP in October. He's working on a full-length album called Heartland, but there's no word on a release date.