Dry Humour on the Wet Coast

So there had been some buzz on the cool-kid blogs and hipster message boards as of late about the up-and-coming sub-pop rookies, Fleet Foxes. To tell you the truth, I usually don’t pay enough attention to the rumbles from these sources, I usually wait for some sage advice from a trusted individual. But this time, this time I took the time out to give the album a spin. Or rather, find a download link of the as-of-yet unreleased full-length, bluetooth the files to my Nokia 6300 and listen to it at the coffee shop while I try to work on some freelance work.

Initially while sellting into the first few chords, I thought it was going to be another sleepy alt-country, folkster offering. But after a little bit longer, you find that it’s rather instead another etheral, sweeping My Morning Jacket-inspired band. And as I’ve discussed before in the Band of Horses review, I have no problem with that. I’m a huge fan of that type of music, but it takes a lot to stand out if that’s the road you’re going to take as a group.

Something about the baroque atmosphere, coupled with rustic allusions peppered thought out the album, does just that. The Seattle-five piece does a great job establishing their own voice with a sound akin to an early morning campfire in a misty pacific northwest rain forest. Like flannel blanket, the sonic engulfs the listener, wrapping their ears with a shimming glow. Great, my imagery made we want to go camping.

After giving it a few more listens, the geist of the album really beings to flesh out and a more coporeal visions starts to come into focus. The doulbe-step drum pacing evokes steam-engines dashing across the plains, the choral vocals stir up shadows of chivalry and mossy grey fortresses, with an end result feeling like something that straddles difference between larping and a spagetti western.

Like My Morning Jacket dressed  like cowboys at the renaissance fair, Fleet Foxes hav definitely stumbled across something amazing here and it’s no wonder that this album has already earned top marks / best album of the year nods from critics and musical gourmands alike.

If you ask nice I might post a download link.