Album: Fleet Foxes
Artist: Fleet Foxes
Born: Kirkland, Washington
Released: June 2008
Genre: Americana
My last summer before becoming a parent was, to a large extent, soundtracked by the Fleet Foxes. I have fond memories of lazing in Greenwich Park listening to Blue Ridge Mountains and other great songs from this album. This video clip from French website, La Blogothèque, shows the band back in their prime performing a "concert à emporter" (take away concert) at the Grand Palais in Paris. Like Bon Iver, they were part of a trend towards reviving American roots music, and the influence of Bob Dylan and Neil Young hangs heavy over this album. Fleet Foxes also had something of the Beach Boys and Crosby, Stills & Nash about them, with their sweet and sunny harmonies. Many of the tracks have a light, pastoral feel to them, with names like Ragged Wood and Meadowlarks suggesting a deep feeling for nature. Their Sun Giant EP and this LP, both released in 2008, are far from cutting edge but that was never the intention; melodies and harmonies this good are timeless. Opening track Sun It Rises sets the ethereal tone straight away, with an "a cappella" singing performance followed by lovely acoustic guitar strumming, immediately conjuring up the image of the sun rising over some rural idyll. Producer Phil Ek, famous for his work with The Shins (another Pacific Northwest band who also excelled at harmonies), was instrumental in realising this rustic sound.
White Winter Hymnal is one of the most beautiful tracks on the record, and was the first single to be released from the album; it was a slow burner rather than an instant hit and helped to build support for the album, which reached No.3 in the UK charts (it didn't fare so well in the US, but was popular across Europe, especially the Nordics). As well as harnessing the power of Welsh voice choirs, White Winter Hymnal is also driven along by brilliant drumming and evocative lyrics. He Doesn't Know Why and Your Protector were also both released as singles, the latter featuring a brilliant flute solo reminiscent of the electric folk of Fairport Convention and Jethro Tull. Other highlights are Tiger Mountain Peasant Song, with its Cat Stevens-style opening, and Quiet Houses, which has a closing section that's very Pet Sounds-esque. Lead singer and songwriter, Robin Pecknold, again stars on the closing track, Oliver James, delivering a brilliant "a capella" performance. Pecknold remained at the helm for the Fleet Foxes' follow-up LP, Helplessness Blues (2011), but then decided to go back to college and take a temporary respite from music (you can read his Facebook announcement here). In a weird parallel with Tom Rapp, former lead singer & songwriter behind 60s psychedelic folk band Pearls Before Swine, Pecknold also appears to have decided to retrain in a different field. The bizarre connection is that, while the Fleet Foxes LP is not my favourite use of Dutch medieval art on an album cover (that prize goes to Pearls Before Swine's One Nation Underground), it does come a close second.
My last summer before becoming a parent was, to a large extent, soundtracked by the Fleet Foxes. I have fond memories of lazing in Greenwich Park listening to Blue Ridge Mountains and other great songs from this album. This video clip from French website, La Blogothèque, shows the band back in their prime performing a "concert à emporter" (take away concert) at the Grand Palais in Paris. Like Bon Iver, they were part of a trend towards reviving American roots music, and the influence of Bob Dylan and Neil Young hangs heavy over this album. Fleet Foxes also had something of the Beach Boys and Crosby, Stills & Nash about them, with their sweet and sunny harmonies. Many of the tracks have a light, pastoral feel to them, with names like Ragged Wood and Meadowlarks suggesting a deep feeling for nature. Their Sun Giant EP and this LP, both released in 2008, are far from cutting edge but that was never the intention; melodies and harmonies this good are timeless. Opening track Sun It Rises sets the ethereal tone straight away, with an "a cappella" singing performance followed by lovely acoustic guitar strumming, immediately conjuring up the image of the sun rising over some rural idyll. Producer Phil Ek, famous for his work with The Shins (another Pacific Northwest band who also excelled at harmonies), was instrumental in realising this rustic sound.
White Winter Hymnal is one of the most beautiful tracks on the record, and was the first single to be released from the album; it was a slow burner rather than an instant hit and helped to build support for the album, which reached No.3 in the UK charts (it didn't fare so well in the US, but was popular across Europe, especially the Nordics). As well as harnessing the power of Welsh voice choirs, White Winter Hymnal is also driven along by brilliant drumming and evocative lyrics. He Doesn't Know Why and Your Protector were also both released as singles, the latter featuring a brilliant flute solo reminiscent of the electric folk of Fairport Convention and Jethro Tull. Other highlights are Tiger Mountain Peasant Song, with its Cat Stevens-style opening, and Quiet Houses, which has a closing section that's very Pet Sounds-esque. Lead singer and songwriter, Robin Pecknold, again stars on the closing track, Oliver James, delivering a brilliant "a capella" performance. Pecknold remained at the helm for the Fleet Foxes' follow-up LP, Helplessness Blues (2011), but then decided to go back to college and take a temporary respite from music (you can read his Facebook announcement here). In a weird parallel with Tom Rapp, former lead singer & songwriter behind 60s psychedelic folk band Pearls Before Swine, Pecknold also appears to have decided to retrain in a different field. The bizarre connection is that, while the Fleet Foxes LP is not my favourite use of Dutch medieval art on an album cover (that prize goes to Pearls Before Swine's One Nation Underground), it does come a close second.
Comments