Fleet Foxes

Description

Seattle’s Fleet Foxes traffic in baroque harmonic pop.
They draw influences from the traditions of folk, pop, choral, gospel, sacred
harp singing, West Coast music, traditional music from Ireland to Japan, film
scores, and their NW peers. The subject matter ranges from the natural world
and familial bonds to bygone loves and stone cold graves. “Supremely crafted
and confident” – 8.7 – Pitchfork. It’s now twenty years since
grunge emerged from then culturally isolated Seattle and Fleet Foxes, the
eponymous debut album from the city’s latest heroes, demonstrates just how
much American independent rock has mutated in that time. The five young
members of Fleet Foxes make up a very different sort of rock band, describing
their own music as “baroque harmonic pop jams”. Even that understates the
depths of the quintet’s effortless vocal harmonies and gently woozy, folky
feel. Of their contemporaries only the enigmatic Midlake and My Morning Jacket
at their most fragile come close, but neither could have cooked up the Beach
Boys spiritual of “White Winter Hymnal” or its more powerful companion piece
“Ragged Wood”. In fact Fleet Foxes happily admit to aspiring to an earlier
tradition–not just obvious antecedents like the Byrds, the Association, Neil
Young and, especially, David Crosby’s famously unfocussed solo album If Only I
Could Remember My Name but ancient English folk songs and their later American
descendents. All were hunted and gathered from the internet–songwriters Robin
Pecknold and Skye Skjelset are barely in their twenties. Add a host of
unlikely instruments and the results are stunning, the complete antithesis of
mainstream stadium indie that has followed Arcade Fire. Still, the cover
features a Bruegel painting of peasants that might have graced any Black
Sabbath sleeve. In that way at least Fleet Foxes salute a local tradition.
-Steve Jelbert

Features:

Product Details:

• Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 12.36 x 12.4 x 0.31 inches; 15.1 Ounces
• Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ SUB POP RECORDS
• Item model number ‏ : ‎ 28931698
• Original Release Date ‏ : ‎ 2008
• Date First Available ‏ : ‎ May 2, 2008
• Label ‏ : ‎ SUB POP RECORDS
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 2
• Best Sellers Rank: #43,348 in CDs & Vinyl (See Top 100 in CDs & Vinyl) #919 in Folk Rock (CDs & Vinyl) #922 in Indie Rock #2,357 in Vocal Pop (CDs & Vinyl)