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album reviews

Fleet Foxes



Fleet Foxes 9 ( 2008 )
Sun It Rises / White Winter Hymnal / Ragged Wood / Tiger Mountain Peasant Song / Quiet Houses / He Doesn't Know Why / Heard Them Stirring / Your Protector / Meadowlarks / Blue Ridge Mountains / Oliver James

At a time when music becomes ever more meaningless and album artists a thing of the past, 'Fleet Foxes' arrive sounding like Brian Wilson meets David Crosby. Any band that tries to mix those two guys has to be applauded, really. We have fairly simple acoustic lines, more complex and pretty electric lines all topped off with two or three part vocal harmonies. Suffice to say 'Quiet Houses', although not their best song, mixes in 'Smile' like instrumental breaks with Crosby, Stills and Nash. 'Oliver James', although not their best song, opens like a man singing on the mountains before mysteriously sounding, well, mysterious. I'm struggling to describe this, aren't I? Some of the songs, although sounding nothing like them, remind me of Free Design in their apparent simplicity and naiveity.

We've done a couple of good songs that aren't necessarily Fleet Foxes best, so how about a one that is? Well, again reminding me weirdly of Free Design is the brilliant 'White Winter Hymnal', an exceptional song with superb backing vocals right off in the distance, as if someone is singing in church. The album as a whole has this natural echo and i'd like to know how said sound was acheived. 'Ragged Wood' is a highlight on an album of highs and deserves to be a hit single. It's accessible without changing any of the Fleet Foxes elements - so the harmonies, the folky guitars, the subtle rhythm section, the great lyrics - all are present and correct.

Fleet Foxes seem somewhat out of time, they don't connect to anything the modern world has to give us, yet that’s a great thing to be able to do. Some sleighbells? Superb backing vocals? Mystery and earthiness, reconnecting the listener to a simpler past they never even knew they wanted.

Share Your Views?

Readers Comments t.peacock bristol gotta be honest, i find them overhyped, dull and the perfect band for the kinda person who hangs on every word Pitchfork says...I listened to them after all the hype surrounding them especially after SXSW and just thought they were dull...! But hey, each to their own, keep up the work! :) GAZZA Edinburgh I agree with your rating ,and this is my favourite album of last year . The emphasis here is on harmony and that makes it stand out a bit from what everyone else is doing at the moment . I can hear echoes of "smile" era beach boys, Crosby and nash and simon and garfunkel but the songs themselves sound as old as the hills but melodious in the extreme . The album gets better with each listen but my favourites are "my protector" which is like the soundtrack to a non existant cowboy film , "blue ridge mountains" and "winter hymnal" which are both joyous and melancholy but uber catchy . despite the authentic 60s rock echo plastered over the songs they all bare very much a pop sensibility . This is gonna sound great on these upcoming frosty mornings . TAD Port Orchard, USA. Adrian: Great site! On Fleet Foxes, U nailed it! I was reminded of Smile-era Beach Boys crossed w/ early-60's folk music. Great stuff! 4 me, the best track is "Blue Ridge Mountains," but it's all pretty great, & some tracks have that silly, lighter-than-air quality of Brian Wilson's middle period. Only 1 I didn't care 4 was "Oliver James," sorta a sung obituary, I think. These guys R really something, & I'm not saying that just cos they're only 30 miles away across Puget Sound from me.... NEway, great site. I'll B reading U more. Oh, & U missed the 2 best tracks on Caravan's BLIND DOG AT ST. DUNSTAN'S -- "Can You Hear Me?" has a great Pye Hastings vocal & a nice soaring keyboard line; "All the Way" is a GORGEOUS love song, 1 of the best things the later version of the band ever did. -- Thanx! Rich Wilson Portsmouth, UK I agreed completely with the first commenter... until my fifth listen. Then it started to grow on me. Every additional listen has continued this and I now have warmed to it massively. White Winter Hymnal and Oliver James were the first to sink their claws into my brainbox and absolutely magnificent tracks. Now I'm agreeing with Adrian.