Fleet Foxes |Fleet Foxes LP

May | 28 | 2008

In my review of the Fleet Foxes EP, I was pretty ambivalent. I was drawn towards the strong vocals of lead singer Robin Pecknold and the band's obvious talent, but I was wary of the often spartan accompaniment and the recorded-in-a-church-basement feel that pervaded much of the EP.  Well, the band's full-length, released 06.03.08 by Subpop, allayed my fears. This album is anything but spartan; most of the songs are well-balanced and anchored by Pecknold's strong voice.  The result is wonderful; much of the album sounds like it is straight out of the late '60s and early '70s, and often in the best sense.  

But The Fleet Foxes aren't copycats.  That's what's so intriguing about the band; their style is all their own; it's just easy to hear the band's (many) influences, the most obvious of which come from the '60s.  After a thorough listen of the CD, it's quite clear that they do their influences proud.

Of all the songs on the CD, "White Winter Hymnal" is the song that has gotten the most airplay, both on indie-rock minded radio stations and on podcasts. While true to its name (it sounds like a revisited hymnal), and a good song in its own right, there are several stronger songs on the EP. A few of the songs are no-doubters. 

For instance, consider "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song," my favorite song on the album. With a classically-inspired guitar opening and Pecknold's soaring vocals, the song has a minstrel-like quality, but despite this, it's entirely modern, something like a twenty-first century rendition of a pastoral.  One of my other favorites, "Your Protector," the LP's eighth track, has an entirely different feel.  The opening of the song is muted, with an eerie-woodwind opening that gives way to building vocals, percussion, and striking lyrics which serves to make the entire song a crescendo of sorts.

These two songs are quite different, but both are successful, and it's this range that is so impressive. The album is full of similar successes.   But don't expect to be overwhelmed right out of the gate; many of these songs need time to warm up, (even "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song" and "Your Protector" start off slowly).  But these songs (and the album) are worth the wait, as the album does what an album is supposed to do – each song builds upon the next, and the songs cohere as a whole.  And once you're done listening to them all, you can't help but enjoy yourself.

For an MP3, go here: http://www.subpop.com/artists/fleet_foxes

 (brett.ortler@yahoo.com)

Fleet Foxes |Sun Giant EP

May | 11 | 2008

I find it impossible to write a negative review for the Sun Giant EP, even though I didn't like the effort as a whole.  It's not that the Fleet Foxes aren't any good; it's quite the opposite, really.  They're good; damn good, but in the end the EP is a disappointment, as it is more notable for what is left out rather than what it offers. 

It's not a problem of talent.  The band, a collaborative effort between five musicians, includes absolutely stunning voices, and real instrumental talent, but the accompaniment is so spare that it's as if the band was stripped of their instruments beforehand. For all intents and purposes, much of the EP is a capella.

Now this isn't technically true.  There is accompaniment, but it is often overpowered by lead singer Robin Pecknold's voice and the rest of the band. That's not to say that the singing isn't good. It is. Imagine Neil Young and Buffalo Springfield sans guitar, drums, and so on.  Yes, they are that good; like Young, Pecknold has a distinctive voice that one simply must listen to, as one doesn't hear vocals this good very often. 

With that said, however, vocals alone aren't enough.  The best proof of this comes from the EP's fourth track, "Mykonos" which is, without question, the best track on the EP. More than that, it might be one of the best songs of the year.  In it, the band reaches a balance, and in one song Fleet Foxes puts themselves on par with the musicians they obviously emulate.  

So, it is by these (probably unfair) standards I call the EP a disappointment.  They've shown what they can do, and I simply want to see more music like "Mykonos".  If they can do that, I think everyone will know them soon enough.

Looking forward, the Fleet Foxes full length is coming out June 3, and SubPop was kind of enough to send me a review copy, so we'll see what they can do soon enough. Stay tuned for a review.

The Foals |Antidotes

May | 4 | 2008

Take a look at ten different music websites and you'll see The Foals lumped together with ten different musical styles.  They've been called minimalist, math rock, and perhaps least helpfully, indie rock.  Frankly Scarlet, I could give a damn about that.  Sure, they have a strange mix-up of influences, but music isn't a logic problem; you don't need to know the premises to enjoy the conclusion.

And it's easy to enjoy the Foals.  Their music is fast, fun, and undeniably danceable. Many of the songs highlight repeated multisyllabic vocals backlit by quick sequences of guitar harmony. This makes for lovely interplay, as the vocals essentially act as another guitar, alternatively leading and following the rest of the group. This is especially true in songs like "Cassius," "Balloons," and "Olympic Airways."

The lyrics are therefore repetitious, and one has to dig deep to find coherent meaning in the lyrics alone.  But the meaning is there, in "Cassius" for instance, there seems to be a veiled reference to The Talking Heads song "Listening Wind" (the wind is in my heart), and one of the oft-repeated lines, "Cassius, Away!" looks to be straight out of Bill Shakespeare. (Julius Caesar, act IV, scene III.)

Nevertheless, focusing on the lyrics too much is beside the point. The Foals are a collaboration; the end result is therefore what matters.  Ultimately, that collaboration is effective on many levels.  Above all the band is accessible, and better yet, plain damn fun.

Brett Ortler, (brett.ortler@yahoo.com)