Fleet Foxes Fleet Foxes CD £1.97 DEL @ Amazon
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.
All Comments (16)
Jump to unread Post a CommentSimple answer, Amazon combine reviews...
Simple answer, Amazon combine reviews...
Thanks ... I wonder why it's rather misleading !!!
Nice deal
could never get into Midlake, but BOH debut album is incredible.
Shame about Fleet Foxes second album, though! (I wont mention the collie 'neath the table!)
could never get into Midlake, but BOH debut album is incredible.
Shame about Fleet Foxes second album, though! (I wont mention the collie 'neath the table!)
Seriously Trials of Van Occupanther is totally amazing and original. Listen to it 10 times and get back to me ;)
Sounds like a bit of a second-rate Midlake rip-off band if I'm honest. I will have to give it another listen or two to really make my mind up. Thanks anyway.
could never get into Midlake, but BOH debut album is incredible.
Shame about Fleet Foxes second album, though! (I wont mention the collie 'neath the table!)
Seriously Trials of Van Occupanther is totally amazing and original. Listen to it 10 times and get back to me ;)
ok I will
Sounds like a bit of a second-rate Midlake rip-off band if I'm honest. I will have to give it another listen or two to really make my mind up. Thanks anyway.
Harsh, based on 3 demo tracks. I suppose if you listen to Midlake's early stuff you could say they were a Grandaddy "rip-off". I'm pretty sure no band sets out to "rip-off" another's sound - actually quite difficult to do and if you're good enough to do that, you're probably good enough to do something original. Now maybe once a major record label gets involved they mould bands in to sounding like others but not likely when they're unsigned.
Have you heard the Fleet Foxes early stuff? Catchy but only a glimmer of what was to follow with their debut album.
Anyway, do have another listen. I was the same with Midlake. Listened a few times, thought it was just okay. 6 months later Roscoe popped up on random and I was like, "this is great!". Odd how that happens. Actually preferring their last album at the moment.
Also check out Cherry Ghost