Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
There’s something of a slightly proggy, vaguely psychedelic folk-pop vibe permeating this album which I rather like. It’s dreamy – I suppose sun-drenched is the easy cliche to reach for in this situation – and lush, blissed out and slow.
Songs like Ragged Wood take that basic premise, speed it up, nudge the rhythm up a notch and and add some vaguely Band of Horsey vocal stylings, resulting in a more exultant energy that bursts from the album more than pretty much any other. Not that the more gentle stuff is less good, but it is quite introverted a style, made all the more thick and glutinous by the multi-layered vocal harmonies. They vary the pace pretty effectively, crucially, and avoid the perils of monotony that bedevil albums with such a dominant style as this one.
It’s music that fits very squarely with the general vibe of Song, by Toad. In fact, anyone doing their market research would certainly pop this right square in the middle of Things For Toad, I am sure. Somehow though, it’s perhaps a liked album rather than a loved one. I don’t know why, but somewhere in the middle I find myself starting to drift a little and by the end it’s not unusual for me to fail to notice two or three tracks at a time. Maybe this will change in time, but for the time being I think I’ll file this under good, rather than great, and wait and see how things change as it seeps in more completely.
Fleet Foxes – Tiger Mountain Peasant Song
Fleet Foxes – Your Protector
Know what you mean about the album – but the EP is astoundingly good. Off to see this lot (double headlining with Beach House, yawn) on Sunday – am hoping for great things. Venue is tiny so fingers crossed for big male harmonies to fill the place up. And I think I’m right in saying J. Tillman is on drums for them at the moment. Intriguing stuff all round. Will report back.
Just from the photos I assume they are amazing live, but I don’t actually know of course. Are you going to write a review for Lonesome Music?
Just received my copy, although I’ve heard quite a few of the tunes already. I admit that I’m predisposed to like the record and have been anticipating it keenly, but I’m honestly not hearing any drop-off near the end. Quite the contrary actually. Blue Ridge Mountains and Oliver James are among the highlights for me. I really do find this to be a remarkably lovely record, top to bottom. Perhaps it’s the heat? I’m listening to it after a long drive on a blistering day of hazy sunshine and so I’m slightly woozy. I find that fatigue sometimes places one in a receptive frame of mind for music of this sort. Now all that’s needed is a nice late afternoon thunderstorm.
Oh! And the Felice Brothers…everything I hoped for. They even got into an actual tiff with the venue owner for undercutting the merch shop by selling signed copies of their CDs out of their shitty old Winnebago. Such drama!
For some reason I’m surprised that you marked this as good and not great. I actually thought this was a gorgeous record (I know, me and everyone who reviewed the damn thing), but it so strongly mirrors the aforementioned Toad Vibe. Hrm.
P.S. I’m assuming you’re going to that Twilight Sad/Broken Records show on Sunday? I saw the flyer posted to the Twilight Sad’s MySpace page and said, “my god, that’s a Toad-friendly show if there ever was one!”
It is, although I might not make it, depending on how much time I get to spend with Mrs. Toad between now and then. I saw Broken Records the other week, and I’ll see Meursault the night before, so it’s less urgent.
C&B – fancy writing a live review of the Felice Brothers gig?
two questions. first, is the song “winter hymnals” on the album, and second, is “winter hymnals” a fair representation of the rest of the album? i absolutely love that song. it is stuck stuck stuck in my head.
Yes, and kinda. It’s there, but it’s definitely among the best songs on the record. Buy it, Marcy. You may not love all of it, but the first half of the album alone is worth the money, I reckon.
Marcy, the whole thing is great. White Winter Hymnal has got to be one of the best songs of the year. There. I said it. Don’t listen to Scrooge McToad and his tall tale of side B drift. Nothing could be further from the troof. I think a review of Los Hermanos Felices can be arranged. I even got a good picture of their ridiculous bus parked out in front of the club.
i believe i am going to save my pennies and pick it up. thank you!
I’ve had the album for a while now and it it currently residing firmly at the top of my provisional best of list for this year. Somewhat paradoxically though, I know what you mean about it kind of just washing over you. I got the EP first and that totally blew me away, especially Mykanons, so when I got the album I was expecting the same reaction x about 100. But on first listen it felt a bit mnrgh. I stuck with it though and slowly slowly the songs have somehow matured into something unbelievably beautiful. It’s not exactly that it’s a slow burner in a conventional sense, but it does feel like you have to let the songs mature, or breathe like a fine wine, if that makes any sense???? I can’t see anything knocking it off the top of my ‘08 best of list now.
I know what you mean. I’ve been particularly prone to excessive expectations recently, which means I’ve been disappointed with some albums that are actually pretty good. I’ll definitely keep listening to this though, so there should be plenty of opportunity for it to grow on me.
Fuck me. They are amazing live.