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    Music Review: Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes

    fleet_foxes.jpg

    Age hasn't often been an obstacle for burgeoning music acts, but artists in their late 20s to early 30s tend to make their most fully-fleshed, fully-mature creations. But 21 year-old Robin Pecknold has the perfectly weathered voice of someone double his years, and the honed story-telling capacities of somebody triple his years. Combine those rare talents with Pecknold's youthful vigor and it makes for some magical moments.

    Another in a long line of fantastic Sub Pop releases, Fleet Foxes, the band's first full-length, builds and expands on the promise of their first two rousing EPs - including the overwhelmingly great Sun Giant EP.

    If the pastoral electric new-folk sounds of groups like Midlake and Grizzly Bear are the current indie trend, then Fleet Foxes are effortlessly hitting stride with it and surpassing their colleagues.

    "Sun It Rises" kicks off the record with intermittent swells of simple guitar strums and gorgeously rigid vocal harmonies. Studio version of the well-established live number "White Winter Hymnal" is a rousing rendition.

    "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song" sounds as if it would fit snug into a Led Zeppelin acoustic set. Then the drenched choral blends in "Quiet Houses" ring like the best Smile-era Beach Boys songs.

    "He Doesn't Know Why" is the perfect traditional ballad with added spunk, similar to what The Shins have been so great at recently - and if there are any flaws in the writing here, Pecknold is so skilled at pulling "the wool over your eyes" with clever lyrics.

    "Heard Them Stirring" could just as easily be played in the medieval courts of old, where "Meadowlark" calls upon a time-honored tradition of McCartney-like acoustic plaintiveness.

    My favorites - "Ragged Wood" for its ramble and "Blue Ridge Mountains" for its overarching melodies - hit directly on themes their label mates Band of Horses have been beating around the bush at for two albums.

    But simply tapped out closer "Oliver James" is where Pecknold illustrates beyond doubt why Fleet Foxes will be (at least) the most important debut of the year. This band has an awe-striking ability to silence listeners and command their full attention - a trait many of their contemporaries have struggled for years to obtain, yet still don't possess.

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    comments (4) | permalink

    Bob says:

    posted June 6, 2008 2:22 PM

    When these guys came out instead of the National at Sasquatch, I was totally disappointed.

    MikeAuthor Profile Page says:

    posted June 6, 2008 2:36 PM

    I can see that. The National are damn good, but you can hardly fault Fleet Foxes for that. Both of them are tremendous live bands - Fleet Foxes perhaps more so because they've been at it for far less time.

    ummm says:

    posted June 7, 2008 12:00 AM

    honestly, the you lost me when you said Fleet Foxes surpases Grizzly bear, who quite frankly make the most long lasting, meaningful music I've heard in years


    shame on you

    ChrisAuthor Profile Page says:

    posted June 9, 2008 11:19 AM

    You know, I really liked Grizzly Bear about a year ago, listened to Yellow House over and over again and even saw them perform live at Sasquatch. But other than "The Knife" I couldn't tell you one song that's memorable off that album to me anymore.

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