Thursday, February 5, 2009

Fleet Foxes


I've mentioned before that Fleet Foxes' self-titled release, "is a bit like petting a unicorn.”

It was referring to the extraordinary conditions that had to take place in order to compose something so rare… After millions of years of intense heat and pressure, two world wars, Scorsese finally winning his Oscar, Global Warming and other minute and sundry events, the conditions were perfect for one such album.

These seemingly disconnected and unrelated things have nothing in common, right? That’s true, they don’t.

This is unerringly why their debut album is like nothing else. It has nothing in common with most music today.

It takes so much more to stand out from the crowd these days. Between globalization and the voluntary loss of personal thought, assimilation just simply happens.

So many aspiring singer/songwriters pay their homage to the perennial '60s rock era, and it's basically expected. The baby boomer generation bred such affluent diversity among its children that naturally it would produce a brilliant impact on music for decades to come.

Too bad everyone does it.

Musicians often rely on past musical exploits to better build on their own talent and it is no more apparent than with Fleet Foxes. The band encompasses an era; borrowing influence from Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, the Kinks and even the Beach Boys –but unlike most, they never become their parent's vinyl collection.

Foxes bring a rustic harmony based melody to a scene populated by synthesized vocals. Bridging the gap between chamber pop, rock and folk, the band's vocal aesthetic mirrors the syrupy pop of groups like, the Beatles and Pet Sounds era Beach Boys. It's the multi-part harmonies that define Fleet Foxes' sound. These choral-like qualities give it an authentic taste of lost talent and a style missing in the midst of a radio recorded fallout.

Fleet Foxes audaciously casts their line into the crowd of music snobs and casual listeners and catching a buzz tailored specifically for them.

After signing to Sub Pop, Fleet Foxes became more than another basement indie band; they surpass genre titles. Hearkening back to early recordings of bands like My Morning Jacket, their sound is similar, but they do it even better.

This Seattle-based band, just a few years out of high school, already has become a band all their own. They’re quickly becoming one of the most buzzed-about bands in America.

Haven’t heard of them yet?

You’re just not listening hard enough.

Front man Robin Pecknold's voice never falters, the warmth in his voice comforts, his songwriting invites and the band creates a wistful affair that begs to never let go.

www.myspace.com/fleetfoxes

Just in case you care:

J. Tillman's name probably doesn't ring a bell and it's okay. Tillman is Fleet Foxes multi-talented drummer, the thing that makes him special is the fact Tillman is an excellent guitar player and songwriter.

Touring the Pacific Northwest and Europe since 2004, he's a commodity nobody knew they wanted.

You can check him out at the usual spot... Myspace.

www.myspace.com/jtillman/

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