Fleet Foxes build on earlier success
Fleet Foxes: Helplessness Blues
Release Date: May 3, 2011
Length: 49:48
Genre: Folk
Label: Sub Pop
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
From the likes of The Decemberists and Bon Iver to Mumford & Sons and Blitzen Trapper, indie folk music seems to be a popular nationwide trend, especially in the Pacific Northwest.
The style pays homage to music of the 1960s and ’70s with a bit of a country music tinge thrown in. Seattle’s Fleet Foxes are one of the forerunners of this genre, and the band lists Bob Dylan, Peter, Paul & Mary, Neil Young, Crosby, Stills & Nash and Ennio Morricone among the inspirations for their music, especially their new album, which releases nationwide on May 3.
“I was raised up believing I was somehow unique… but I’d rather be a functioning cog in some great machinery,” lead singer and primary songwriter Robin Pecknold sings on the title track of the Fleet Foxes’ sophomore album, “Helplessness Blues.” The theme of this album, Pecknold says, “is the struggle between who you are and who you want to be or who you want to end up, and how sometimes you are the only thing getting in the way of that.”
The Fleet Foxes’ first and self-titled album was released in 2008, and the band’s follow-up was meant to be recorded that same year. But due to an overwhelming and rather unexpected positive reaction to the first album, subsequent touring and promotion shelved it temporarily.
After several other unforeseen forces — such as illness, scheduling, creative doubt and rewriting — “Helplessness Blues” was finally finished in December of 2010. It was recorded at several places: at what used to be Seattle’s Hall of Justice until Death Cab For Cutie moved out; in Woodstock, New York at Dreamland Recording; and finally back in Seattle at several other studios, including Avast! Recording Co., where bands such as Soundgarden, Band of Horses and The Shins have also recorded.
Pecknold describes the new album as, “a synthesis of folk rock, traditional folk and psychedelic pop, with an emphasis on group vocal harmonies,” the latter of which is in true Fleet Foxes fashion. The first album was full of bountiful and intricate vocal harmonies on songs like “Sun It Rises,” “Quiet Houses” and “He Doesn’t Know Why.” As a whole, it was very echoey and delicate, yet at the same time concrete and exquisitely crafted. Every word sounds like it is being sung from the end of a long hallway with the microphone at the other end. It almost felt like an accidental success, as though the band set out to solely make music that appealed to them. But as it turns out, it appealed to many others as well, leaving fans eager for more.
Intricate vocals and harmonies are still one of the focal points of “Helplessness Blues,” but instrumentation plays a much more significant role on this album. In addition to traditional instrumentation, more unique sounds are present, such as hammered dulcimer, zither, wood flute, tympani, tamboura, fiddle, clarinet, Tibetan singing bowls and vibraphone.
Although this album took much more time than intended to make and release, it is easy to see that the Fleet Foxes have found their niche. They even take the time to throw in a lot of instrumentals (such as the song “The Cascades”) here and there, which is a welcome treat on any album.
The title track stands out, musically and lyrically. The theme of introspection and overcoming one’s own limitations to find success is as appealing as any.
The song “Someone You’d Admire” has lyrics that are very contemplative. It is a simple tune, with just Pecknold’s vocals and a guitar. It is nice to see that in the midst of an album that focused more on complexity, the Fleet Foxes are still able to demonstrate simplicity, which gives the album more emotional impact.
“The Shrine/An Argument” is two distinct songs combined into one, and is the album’s longest track. The first half starts off like it was taken directly from a Simon & Garfunkel album and leads into a more percussive section. The second half mellows down as far as percussion goes but introduces an interesting section with a lot of the aforementioned instrumentation.
The Fleet Foxes are not the type of band that will initially blow you away. Rather, their music has to be chipped away layer by layer before you feel like you have a grasp of it, which is a great thing for an album’s longevity. From that standpoint, their music takes effort to enjoy. It has depth and cannot be taken at face value. While “Helplessness Blues” doesn’t initially stand out as a classic album, I think it has the potential to grow into an album that will stand the test of time and ultimately end up on a lot of “Best of 2011” lists.
In a recent Rolling Stone interview, Pecknold shared that he is relocating from Seattle to Portland. It will be interesting to see what role that will play in the band’s next moves. On the Fleet Foxes’ upcoming tour, Oregonians will have two chances to see them — at the Crystal Ballroom on May 1 and at McMenamins Edgefield on July 24.
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