Fleet Foxes Sing The Blues So Well

The Helplessness Blues cover, courtesy of Soundcloud.

Fleet Foxes broke out into the music scene in 2008 with breath-taking harmonies and full beards, instantly building a fan base for their unique sound and obvious talent. The Seattle based band is releasing their sophomore album Helplessness Blues on May 3 but it is possible to stream it for an early listen here.

Sophomore albums are always a bit stressful for bands. They have to deal with the pressure to recreate the magic that made everyone love their debut album and the artistic need to evolve. Helplessness Blues maintains the essence of Fleet Foxes – with etherial folk melodies in songs that are both comforting yet slightly haunting – but still ventures to new sonic realms that were not heard on their first self-titled album. There is something different in the structure of the sound, however: lead singer Robin Pecknold’s voice is clearer and slightly higher, seeming more separate from the music. On Fleet Foxes, his voice blended warmly into the chords and echoed slightly. Throughout Helplessness Blues, it is more crisp. Pecknold sounds slightly more vulnerable but completely endearing and sincere.

The album also deals with different topics lyrically, evoking existential questions to lay over a backdrop of mesmerizing acoustic chord progressions, chord progressions that  lull the listener into the comfort of folk music while Pecknold asks important questions.For example, on the second to last track “Blue Spooted Tail,” Pecknold earnestly asks, “Why is life made only for to live?”  Pecknold  asks questions throughout the album. The track “Montezuma” begins tinted with sadness and nostalgia. Choir like “oohs” form the backdrop as Pecknold sings about his current place in life (compared to his parents when they were his age) and almost sighs,“Oh man what I used to be, oh man oh my oh me.” “Sim Sala Bim,” starts with impressive finger picking and the sound of Pecknold’s voice telling a story before progressing to a more intense sound. As the strong guitar progressions teeter off, one lyric stands out in the center of the song. Pecknold vulnerably, almost as if whispering a question, sings “remember when you had me cut your hair?”

Fleet Foxes are masters of creating connections with their songs. Even for someone who doesn’t care about the lyrics, their music is entrancing. They know when to use their voices as the best instruments and keep the rest simple for a chilling,yet awe-inspiring affect. Fleet Foxes are great at incorporating a fuller sound through layering of string instruments and perfectly placed percussion beats that guide the song along melodically. Pecknold stated that he had wanted to record very quickly, doing the vocals all in one take and capturing any vocal and guitar mistakes, which adds an admirable honesty to the album.

Fans of Fleet Foxes will not be disappointed. What’s more, it is exciting to discover where else Fleet Foxes can take their sound while still sounding honest and pure. Those new to the band will inevitably get lost in their sound and instantly crave more of the comforting, harmony-laden, dream-like sound-scape.

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