Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes
2008
Album Summary
Fleet Foxes is the debut studio album by American folk band Fleet Foxes, released on June 3, 2008 by Bella Union. The album debuted at number eleven on the US & UK Albums Chart, where it eventually peaked at number one. The album garnered wide praise from critics, many of whom named it one of the best albums of the 2000s and one of the greatest debut albums of all time.
WikipediaI’m so upset with myself for never jumping on the Fleet Foxes hype train when I had the chance, because this album as absolutely incredible. Every vocal harmony impeccable, every note perfectly placed. This album feels like looking at a masterfully crafted wood carving. It feels like it takes the best bits of each of the year’s seasons and rolls them into one. Not only is this a 5, but I think it firmly has a place among my favorite records now.
Phenomenal debut, with masterfully crafted folk / chamber pop songs. Sounds like a solid mix between CSNY & The Beach Boys ‘Pet Sounds.’ STANDOUTS: -White Winter Hymnal -Ragged Wood -Tiger Mountain Peasant Song -Quiet Houses -He Doesn’t Know Why -Your Protector -Blue Ridge Mountains
On one hand, every song on this record is extremely well produced, with a clear and sharp sound and epic vocals. Standout songs for me are Sun It Rises, White Winter, Ragged Wood and Quiet Houses. However, there is very little for me to gain in listening to any more. I am dissapointed by the variety, a lack of tight instrumentals, and an unengaging theme. Because it leans a bit too much on vocals for my taste and I find myself getting tired of the choir-boy indie esthetic after a couple of songs, I feel it deserves a 6/10.
One of my favorite albums by probably my favorite band. I started listening to this album on the way to Santa Cruz maybe around when it came out. I was in middle school, and my best friend’s older sister put it on as she took us on the 3 hour drive to the boardwalk. It was the only CD we listened to the entire trip, and I’m not complaining. I have such nostalgia surrounding this! We laughed and swore we would learn to play Blue Ridge Mountains. I was told I could do the timpani or whatever instrument that is before, “in the quavering forestttt” chorus... I love this album with all my heart. I haven’t gone a year, month, and probably even week without listening to at least one of the songs off this album.
As if the Mumfords were trying to pick up girls by demonstrating their deep sensitivity. Maudlin and over-produced but not in a good way. And yet, so precisely of its era that it's hard not to like it just a little bit
Save it for a coming of age indie movie. It's alright, not offensive, but you're just never going to blow your load whilst it's on, are you? Or am I...? I did.
Saved Prior: None Not Saved: 11. Heard Them Stirring 10. Tiger Mountain Peasant Song Cutting Edge: 9. Meadowlarks Off Rip: 8. Oliver James 7. He Doesn't Know Why 6. Blue Ridge Mountains 5. Your Protector 4. White Winter Hymnal 3. Sun It Rises 2. Quiet Houses 1. Ragged Wood Overall Notes: Did not expect to like this at all. Folk is one of my least favorite genres, it all sounds so terribly plain to me. But this was impeccable. Lush sounds, wonderful harmonies, nice little lyrical bits. An easy 5, especially considering the genre this is coming from. This is medieval music for the 21st century, and I'm here for it.
I love love love this album. I used to listen to it so much when I lived in Ottawa on Blackburn and then on Argyle. I would bike with my headphones in and sing this album sooooo loud! Thanks for the good listen.
Um hi yes I’m obsessed with this album cover it’s gorgeous what is it. Apparently it’s by Peter Bruegel the Elder which makes since because I love his work. I hope I like this so I can buy it on vinyl just for the cover. 1. This is pretty 2. I have no idea what this is about but it’s pretty - I’ve decided it’s about little snow foxes wearing cute red scarves. 3. Pretty, this is soothing. 4. Oooh a minor key? 5. I really thought they were saying donkey man. Glad they aren’t. 6. “Memory is a fickle siren’s song” great line. 7. Pretty 8. I love this sort of sound - I have no idea what any of this album is about but it’s super pretty sounding 9. This sounds melancholic- very pretty though 10. This is a good album to listen to while you’re laying in bed at night. Calming, soothing, pretty, kinda zen. 11. It’s just a pretty album I guess I’m finally going to go listen to Shore now
Think of the sheer STAGGERING quality of this band. This is probably only the second or third best Fleet Foxes record, and yet it's a nearly flawless 5 Star album. Most bands would be beyond lucky and happy to have a "White Winter Hymnal" or "Blue Ridge Mountains" as their opus. This band has BOTH of those, and they might not even be the best song from this era of the group! Incredible, incredible stuff.
4.3 + Haunting, majestic, uplifting - like watching the sun rise over a mountain, gradually spreading light over the rocky crags and dissipating the frigid mist.
Did these come before or after Mumford & Sons? It's very Mumford & Sons. Fairly dull folk tinged indie. Thank God this lot and their ilk didn't take over the world as it briefly looked like they would in the early 2010s. Strong album cover though.
This is the kind of stuff that I almost hate, but don't. The music itself is okay-ish. It's kinda dull and there's a million bands out there like them. It seems pretty soulless. It's folksy music for people that are not salt of the Earth people at all. It's for people that grew up in nice, pre-packaged communities and then want to pretend they have a damn thing in common with the average Joe. Sorry. I might've been projecting from personal experience there. Tl;dr: it's folk music for people from the suburbs that want to cosplay as working class. The band itself is lukewarm. It's not awful but it's not good either and it just feels so inauthentic and plastic.
This is like open heart surgery from the point of view of the heart. Painful, uncomfortable, but with just the right amount of sexual tension. It's a noose around an unborn baby's neck. A sex tape set in a cancer ward. Crying whilst fingering your twin sister.
The sweetie-poo folk revival was never to my taste. Too earnest and hookless, but worse than that it's preening and genteel. Pop music is the language of semiotics, and what this communicates is a disdain for the city, the market, vulgarity. All healthy in doses, but in this quantity I sense puritanism. That said, they're very good players, occasionally turn their talents to picking good tunes, and aren't preachy.
Imagine if the classic prog rock group, Yes, and the classic folk rock trio, Peter, Paul, & Mary, gave birth to a band of children, only to discover that they were a little tone deaf. Introducing, Fleet Foxes. Variously described as Indie folk and Baroque or Chamber pop (this is a new one for me, folks)- ‘a musical genre that combines rock music with the intricate use of strings, horns, piano, and vocal harmonies, and other components drawn from the orchestral and lounge pop of the 1960s, with an emphasis on melody and texture.’ Sounds good, if only 'Fleet Foxes' had been able to deliver. If this is an example of chamber pop, I would suggest a chambermaid to clean up the mess. A bullet into the chamber of a gun would be overkill. I don’t want anyone to get hurt. Lyrically, the cover painting says it all, as a glance at the song titles will confirm: ‘Tiger Mountain Peasant Song,’ and ‘Meadowlarks,’ and such. You get it. And our lead minstrel, of course, goes by the name of Robin. No foolin’. One can only hope he’s better with a bow and arrow than he is with a mic. Robin was better in the lower registers, but as he climbed in pitch, he got pitchier. In fact the whole group’s harmonies, shrill and frequent, were also all over the medieval map. And the very heavy echo on the voices only sustained the bum notes. ‘Heard Them Stirring,’ for example, was three painful minutes of only oohs and aahs, no lyrics whatsoever as a balm for the hurting harmonies. Furthermore, there was very little instrumentally of which to speak, which would have at least provided a merciful relief to the vocals. The final track, ‘Oliver James’- the bleak tale of a poor chap who died down by the river and was brought back home to be laid on the kitchen table in preparation for burial- ended with an acapella vocal by Robin: ‘Oliver James, washed in the rain, no longer.’ And, bless his heart, he was giving it all he had, the passion was there; but, alas. Fleet Foxes, I was washed in your harmonies for thirty-nine minutes and 15 long seconds… but, no longer. Whew.
2008: White Winter Hymnal, Blue Ridge Mountain, Ragged Woods, Your Protector, He Doesn't Know Why
10/10. Every song is so good. Tiger Mountain Peasant Song is unreal. Can't say enough good things about this album.
Have listened to this album a million times. Have it on vinyl. Love it with all my heart adn will relisten soon...
Fantastische, rustgevende muziek met veel harmonieën in de zang en gitaarspel. Deze zal ik met plezier nog eens opzetten!
Herlig folk! Føles utrolig varmt og organisk i både vokal og instrumental, og veksler mellom oppløftende og melankolsk. Dette kommer jeg nok til å høre mye på fremover!
Really nice!! Some beautiful and well performed vocal melodies. It seemed the second half was a lot weaker than the first, but i’m not sure if it was a difference in quality or the sound getting a bit monotonous. Still a really cool album, 9/10
Perhaps the best folk album to spawn since the new millenium began. Robin Pecknold's voice and the bands talent is obvious, and they create some of the most beautiful harmonies you'll ever hear.
One of those albums that spawned an entire genre of people trying to copy it and nobody else even came close.
I remember the hype about this, but it really wasn't my type of music, so never really paid heed. Listening closely now, it's actually really quite lovely. Beautiful melodies, his voice is stunning, evocative, emotional, arrangements vary between sparse, spine-shivering, and orchestral and rich. Of course there are still plenty of folky and americana bits that just isn't my taste in music, but really they don't bother me. I'm actually quite baffled and amazed about what is it about this album that I like so much, given my strong aversion to folk music. I can't believe it, but am I about to give a 5 to a folk album?? Favourites: White Winter Hymnal of course (sang it in my choral group) Meadowlarks - beautiful sparse arrangement, maybe a bit too much reverb
Outstanding. Loved it as a kid -- like it even more now. Blue Ridge Mountains is a damn near flawless song and the album has some killer mystique. 5/5
Oh my god I'm a little biased because I already knew of this album, but seriously I love it. The highly emotional vocal performance, the almost classical elements of the compositions, the timeless feel of the lyric content and music, the masterful production. A nearly perfect album that has resonated with me since I first listened to it, no matter what walk of life I'm at.
A classic. Means a lot to me. Heavenly vocals, incredibly well crafted songs. personal highlight: Your Protector, Ragged Wood and Oliver James.
Holiday cheer may have inspired me to give this a more favorable rating, but it _is_ a great album
One of my favourites, always puts me in a good mood. I slightly prefer helplessness blues but this is still great
This was a really really good album. Definitely my kind of music and I’d never heard of them before. Fav: white winter hymnal
This is a really amazing album. Totally unique and beautiful. I've listened to this a few times and always liked it, especially White Winter Hymnal. I was thinking 4 stars, but on listening to it again I'm going to go with 5 stars.
awesome indie - 10/10 favorite song is probably Blue Ridge Mountains, I’m a sucker for that naturey indie stuff - Vashti Bunyan type stuff
Fells like they invented a nee genre with this album. If it has a weakness it is that is lacks an emotional theme that resonates with me. Red squirrels etc. Cover art 5/5 Pieter Bruegel the Elder. Who'd have thought a painting from 1559 could make a great cover..
Very unique and good indie album with songs I already enjoy. White Winter Hymnal and Ragged Wood are the faves. Strength of the album with some favorites pushes it from a 4.5 to a 5.
Ah this is such a special album to me. I had it on CD and it was a gift when I was about 16. It's absolutely stunning and has done me a solid many times over the years when I've been anxious and this album has instantly relaxed me. Your Protector is a huge highlight and also Meadowlark. I don't know if I've ever heard anything like Fleet Foxes anywhere else, the harmonies and the voices are so unique and absolutely stunning and this is their best album ever. The artwork is iconic too. It looks so dry at first but the more you look closely there's all kinds of unusual and exciting things going on!
A beautiful and immersive album. One that sounds not of any time, and is incredibly coherent. Adore it. 5/5
Already a fan, but incredible album. Instrumentation is wide and full. Songs are direct and compelling.
What can I say but I'm a sucker for this type of indie folk. I've always loved and it is just scratches an itch. Yeah there is a lot of similarity but I can't help it, I just eat this shit up.
It’s so nice. The sound is fantastic, love the quality of the background vocals. Hearing the production on this album makes me wish my favorite albums from the 60s and 70s could’ve been recorded with today’s better sound equipment. Feels so fresh
The first album I've drawn that I already have loved for years! I wrote so many papers to this in college a decade ago and still keep coming back.
Ovaj bend je definicija jesenske glazbe, jednostavno se poistovjećujem, čim čujem glas Robina Pecknolda - odma me baci u onaj najdivniji dio godine, rana lagana jesen, gdje još ima ponešto lišća, sunce sja, trenerka gornja se nosi, nije toliko hladno, lagani vjetar puše, možeš disat i jednostavno upijat divnoće koja ti priroda pruža - zajedno sa Fleet Foxesima, naravno. Nešta sam ovih dana dosta dobar, samo petice frče - ali uglavnom, da. Ovaj album je dosta divan i kažem, čim jesen dođe Fleet Foxesi se pojačano slušaju.
This is a formative album for me personally as it was the push that got me to get into independent music. Aside from my personal attachment to this album and band, it is excellent musically. This album takes influences from the Beach Boys, the British folk revival, and others to create a textured soundscape that evokes a certain timelessness. The songs on this album sound like they could have been written yesterday or 50 years ago. They draw upon pastoralism while discussing modern themes of belonging and one's role in the world. Furthermore, this album is immediately accessible due to Robin Pecknold's giftedness with melody.
Love this album. It feels like a warm blanket. The layers of sounds in each song are lovely.
I was not expecting this... I have heard of Fleet Foxes and vaguely remembered them as an indie band. This was not what I expected. The musicians are exquisite. The music is exquisite. I loved every song. Some of the particular ones that really stood out on this stand out album included "White Winter Hymnal", "He Doesn't Know Why", "Your Protector", "Meadowlarks", and "Blue Ridge Mountains." But every song is worth listening to. This is a really special album that I am so thankful to now know.
I've heard of Fleet Foxes but I've never listened to them. If I've heard any of these songs before, I think I probably assumed it was a group from the 60s or early 70s. I'm reminded of Simon & Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, Neil Young. Lyrics have a specificity that give them emotional heft beyond the usual clichés. Very nice indeed.
Oh, this was a happy discovery! I am sure I have heard "White Winter Hymnal" before somewhere, but I wasn't familiar with Fleet Foxes before. I happily listened 3+ times today. I am intrigued by the sprinkling of random names in the songs. Who is Michael? Who is Jesse? Sean? All the songs are my favorite! "White Winter Hymnal" is a beautiful piece with its harmonies, instrumentation, and percussion. "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song" and "Your Protector" are both beautiful and a little scary. "Meadowlarks" and "Blue Ridge Mountains" are just lovely and timeless (except for that connecting flight reference). This is a group I can't wait to hear more from, and the rare occasion where I want to go to the bonus discs!
There's never a wrong time for Fleet Foxes.... which is why I'm never allowed to DJ at parties.
An album I've listened to before! Hard to listen to it for its quality when ive heard it so many times, but I still love it.
Very enjoyable album taking direct influence from The Beach Boys with the multiple harmonies and even a little Appalachian swagger.
That was a great album. I loved the moving guitar parts. I can imagine listening to this on a car ride before a weekend long camping trip.
I'm not a big folksy music fan but I did enjoy this (at least the few songs I listened to). This was a nice change and calming.
Love the musical composition and variety. the band sounds raw in a way that sound like a jam band on stage; but the recording is really clean. folky but not sappy or in-authentic. Reminds me of the early work of the band 'The Shins'. love the haunting vocals of Meadowlarks. I listed 3 times. while working, while doing chores and while going for a run. My appreciation grew.
When you first see that painting it's very bucolic, but when you look closer there's all this really strange stuff going on, like dudes defecating coins into the river and people on fire, people carving a live sheep, this weird dude who looks like a tree root sitting around with a dog. There's all this really weird stuff going on. I liked that the first impression is that it's just pretty, but then you realize that the scene is this weird chaos. I like that you can't really take it for what it is, that your first impression of it is wrong.[7] Pecknold explained to Mojo how the painting ended up on the front cover: We were trying to figure out what we wanted to do, and my brother had been working out some stuff, when I saw that Bruegel painting in a book my girlfriend had. I liked that it had a really intriguing meaning, like there's a story to each little scene. Which I just felt fitting for that record- dense but unified, not a collage or anything. And I liked its Where's Waldo? quality, that it was something you could look at for a long time on a vinyl sleeve and find new little things. It was very easy to get the museum in Berlin that has it to say yes. They were super excited a band wanted to use it and put it in their newsletter. When you open it up on the inside there's a paisley pattern traced from the back of a book that Skye (Skjelset, lead guitar)'s mum got me. We wanted two very different feelings.[8] The cover claimed the Best Art Vinyl Award 2008, an annual award, organized by Artvinyl.com, a company that manufactures display frames for record albums.[9]
The sounds of running through a field, sometimes in the rain, sometimes in the sun, and sometimes in the snow. Great sound, definitely a mood album. Because it is a little situational, I don't think I can give it a 5, but a fantastic album nevertheless.
I’m not sure what it is, but you can tell these guys are American right from the start. The album has an Appalachian feel to it. Good song writing, nice vocals and harmonies and they have an interesting habit of changing direction mid-song, which is brave, since I’m sure the suits at the record companies don’t like surprises. It would have been nice if “Mykonos” made it onto this album, but I think that was released earlier in the same year.
Its an album I'm familiar with as I listened to it a lot when it came out. Thought it was brilliant then. Listening to it again, its ok a few good songs. Not as special as I thought! 7/10
was a fan when it came out and it has a timeless feel so has aged well. Can be samey, but that's fine. 8/10
Rauhallisen menevää ja harmonista. Kuunteli mielellään toiseencotteeseen ja osittain vielä kolmanteenkin. Äänimaailmaltaan hyvin tehty ja tuotettu levy. 3+ mutta anteliaasti ylöspäin neloseen, koska sopi loistavasti syksyiseen tiistaiaamuun.
Heel leuk album. Net geen 5*, maar mogelijk verandert dat als het een paar keer beluisterd is. Het feit dat het één van mijn favoriete schilderijen op de cover heeft, is een pluspunt.
Conhecia White Winter Hymnal jah (122 milhoes de listens wtf) e Blue Ridge Mountains que sao ambas excelentes. Chillax music.
A beautiful album. Love the soundscapes and trilling instrumentation. Sounds like something out of a fantasy land Saved: White Winter Hymnal, He Doesn't Know Why, Your Protector
I’ve listened to this album many times and it never fails calm, sooth and relax. A great listen, especially during the cold winter months.
I’ve heard various cuts off this album but never listened to it the whole way through before. I enjoyed it. 3.5 overall.
Excellent indie album. Fleet foxes has such a unique sound that is melodic and fluid throughout the whole album. 8.6/10
Really good modern folk music. There wasn't anything flashy enough for me to be wowed or return to this album often but it's just very solid. 8
8/10. Well, I can certainly see how this one was influential. Overall I liked it, it had a nice, peaceful but sorrowful sound to it, and while the album would have been more interesting if it varied from that a bit more, it would have ruined the mood.
I think this would be fantastic late-night writing music with a glass of scotch and the lights down low.
Nice,I recognise the lead single and lots of the influences. Might come back and listen again in the future.
Enjoyable. They passed me by at the time so i will take more time to listen to more of their work.
Another band I discounted because of hipster love, and even though it is exactly the indiefolk stuff I expected, it I was glad to listen. Reminded me a lot of Local Natives! 3.5 that I'll round up on.
Perfectly pleasant indie folk. A nice listen. Fave track - "White Winter Hymnal" was a fave going in. "Your Protector" caught my ear on this listen through, too...
This was very good, I liked it. I knew a few of the songs off here. I would listen to this again.
Rich harmonies and delicate, spacious arrangements - like a folkier, more psychedelic Beach Boys. White Winter Hymnal is particularly good.
Missed this album back in the day, but I quite enjoyed listening to it today. Has a lot of similarities to things I already like and I imagine I’ll be revisiting this a bit.
Lovely - lush, warm Beach Boys style harmonies, charming folk. I'd heard good things, but never got around to listening. Quite wonderful!
Secondo me piacerebbero ad Ale. :) Folk-rock allegro, ma con passione. Trascinante e ben eseguito.
There are some great harmonies in this album, reminiscent of Crosby, Stills & Nash. Simple in its musicality, this album is a great listen for relaxing or background music. I think I found a new album to add to my library I also had no idea White Winter Hymnal was their song originally! The Pentatonix cover is great but the concept originated with Fleet Foxes.
A lot of it sounded the same but at least those similar sounds were nice to listen to. Musically it was very easy on the ears and enjoyable.
The perfect album for this time of year. Wistful, elegaic and full of beautiful melody and harmonies.
Nice, atmospheric folk album. Runtime was just right, not too long. Maybe lacked one or two standout songs but still a good album
I really enjoyed the sound. It’s amazing. Great acoustic playing, harmonies, vocals and the album as a whole is a perfect length. The one thing holding it back is that there is no song or two to push it up a star as the album remains the same throughout.
Its a beautiful thing. I had played it too much previously and happy to encounter it again here.
The music of Fleet Foxes has a very calming effect on me. It gives me the feeling that everything is going to be alright someday. The rhythm, the harmonies and instrumentation makes this album a go to indie-folk album for me.
Really liked the album. Seemed to have pioneered the genre. Influenced a lot of the bands that I like, like Coldplay. Great album overall. Some songs weren't as strong as others, and the album seems to be rough work for what was to come for the genre
Nice to have a more current release chucked in the mix. Not sure how I've never heard these guys, although I am aware who they are. I'll probably give this another spin, thus is really nice and the production is really good.
This is a very rich sounding album. Lush, even. I've generally not gravitated towards the modern folky-harmonic type genres but when this album came out there was something about it that grabbed me. I hadn't listened to it in probably a decade so it was interesting to revisit and definitely *sounds* gorgeous. Highly melodic and soft-ish tunes but quite complex instrumentation. It's a pleasantly short record - 39 minutes or so; any more might really start to get repetitive or suffer from a sameness for me. This works as more of an album experience as songs tend to run into one another but i'm treating this as a feature rather than a bug. Highly recommended. 8/10 4 stars.
i actually very much enjoyed this album. I loved his voice. it was very soothing and continuous and gave hope? it was just really pretty.
Ironically I did not enjoy this as much as other Fleet Foxes albums - Helplessness Blues and Shore are both incredible IMO. This is still pretty great, and the best qualities of FF still come through, namely the pounding drums, plucking guitar, and airy, layered vocals. It seems to not quite have the (very soft) 'bite' of their other records, though. 7/10
Charming and hypnotic. A lovely journey that softened my soul for about 35 minutes. Thank you for bringing this one to my attention
Exceeds my expectations tenfold. It's whimsical and magical, filled with imagery of forests and mountain, tales told by medieval folk singers. Some tracks shrouded by the wide openness ("Tiger Mountain Peasant Song"), while others bombard you with a wall of sound full of optimism and happiness ("Quiet Houses"). Nothing sounds more fairy tale-like than "Heard Them Stirring." Influences are all over, I can hear post-rock / emo in "Ragged Wood" and psychedelic pop in "He Doesn't Know Why." The style of singing is certainly reminiscent of Brian Wilson, but he definitely makes a style of his own that fits extraordinarily well with the album's themes. Some standout tracks, but the album is best experienced front to back.
This album contains some next level joy and wonder musically. He Doesn't Know Why is one of the most gorgeous songs ever committed to wax. White Winter Hymnal and Quiet Houses are both very nice too - but a lot of the album is just that... Nice. When it hits transcendence, it's brilliant, but a lot of it is just pleasant, and just drifts by, wispily. The commitment to a very consistent but different sound is great though.
Czlowiek sie doczekal indyjskiego rokowania, ktore ma na siebie pomysl, bo wlasnie takim albumem jest fleet foxes bedacy eponimowym debiutem grupy z roku 2k08, az dziwne ze zespol jest z hameryki, bo stylistycznie idealnie wpasowuje sie w basnie anglinsko europejskie, o czym juz swiadczy sama okladka, ktora jest ciekawym obrazem Pietera Bruegela Elderowego zatytulowanym Nederlandse Spreekwoorden, a po polsku znany takze jako swiat do gory nogami, bo o ile na pierwszy rzut oka wyglada to na typowy przyklad sztuki wiekow srednich, to jednak diabel tkwi w szczegolach, doslownie i w przenosni, bo im dluzej sie przygladac tym bizarniejsze rzeczy mozan dostrzec i podobnie takze ma sie sprawa z tym albumem, na 40 minutach delikatych jamow snute sa opowiesci o smierciach, namietnosciach i smutniejszych uczuciach, a to wszystko przekazane w tak indyjsko folkowej formie, ze genius jest twoim przyjacielem w rozwiazywaniu zagadek liryczych wymyslonych przez pana Robina Pecknolda, ktory zarowno spiewa jak i pisze liryczna strone plyte, dodatkowo brzdakajac na gitarce, ale dziwne ze nikt nie jest creditowany na okladce jako artysta danego instrumentu, tylko jako aranzer, ale wiki podaje kto co dzialal na krazku i tak obok Robina mozna uslyszec na plycie jeszcze czterch czlonkow, sklad raczej typowy, bo glowna gitara, bas, drumsy i klawisze, no i jeszcze uzyczaja swoich glosow do budowania chorkow na sporej ilosci trakow, dawno nie slyszalem tak subtelnie wykorzystanych wokali, nie tylko tych chorkowych, ale rowniez glownych od pana Robina do budowania klimatu plyty, co najlepiej slychac na kawalkach jak meadowlarks czy tiger mountain peasant song, ktore sa najbardziej ascetycznymi trakami pod wzgledem instrumentala, wiec najbardziej rzuca sie na uszy jakie postaranko zostalo wlozone w wokal, nie mozna takze pominac najbardziej sluchanego utworu plyty, ktory natomiast flexuje harmoniczne wokale calego zespolu polaczone z tak pozytywnie brzmiacym instrumentalem, a lirycznie opowiadajac prawdopodobnie o utracie zycia lub niewinnosci, czuc mocne pumped up kicks viby, tylko w iriowym odcieniu, ciekawa to byla plyta, pozytywne zaskoczenie gatunku indyjskiego na generatorze, co do pickow na plejke, to ciezko wybrac, bo plyta jest mocno sluchalna jako calosc, wiec pojdzie na poleczke spotifajowa, ale pojde za glosem wiekszosci i dodam white winter hymnal i jako drugi kawalek your protector, jako najbardziej jamowy utwor plyty, ktory zaskakuje dodatkowym czlonkiem instruemntalnym, bo pojawia sie Gwen Owen na flecie, bo jakby moglo zabraknac fletu na tak basniowym nagraniu
The second track on this album ("White Winter Hymnal") was my introduction to Fleet Foxes, and still one of my favorite songs from the band. I enjoyed listening to the album. I would come back for a second listen.
Genesis could learn a thing or two about focus and songwriting from these guys. Lush and rich, beautifully produced and with some memorable songs. Very good indeed.
Ljómandi áheyrileg og vel flutt músík, mjög einkennandi sound. Lögin svo sem misskemmtileg, en heildarsvipurinn flottur.
Listened to on 5/15/22 4/5 Favorite songs: Tiger Mountain Peasant Song, Your Protector This band is incredibly talented - their lyrics, their vocals, and their instrumentation were beautiful and unlike anything I’d heard before yet so easy to listen to. Some of the songs were a little too repetitive for me but I absolutely loved a few and will listen to them again
Well I'm a sucker for some men beautifully harmonising together, absolutely gorgeous. And I think what an iconic album at the time - in 2008 this felt very different. Before the big folky hits that came in after this, like Ben Howard, and I think more rich than the likes of Newton Faulkner. loved it - going onto more FF albums now
I cannot believe this album is 14 years old. It takes me back to a time and place where I think I was happier.
I don't know if this is the album that popularized the mountain man indie folk thing that stuck around for a bit, but in my head it is. Anyway, this was really solid, but not quite the force that I remember it being. Best track: Oliver James
I think getting a true folk feeling in modern and original songs is harder than it may seem. This does it as well as I’ve heard it done, and also moves confidently between this and a more contemporary style without losing a unique and unified sound. Overall liked it a lot.
This is another gem I doubt I would ever have heard of or found on my own...this is the kind of album you can put on in the background on a rainy day, read your book and just have this on a loop for a few hours....
During my first listen, I really didn't get it. I found it mostly boring. Then today when I used the album as the soundtrack for my walk on an overcast afternoon on the trails of the foothills with just an occasional passer-by, I was captivated. It was just perfect for the setting. It was a long walk and I listened twice. Later, when I returned to the house and put it on once again to try to pinpoint a favorite song, it just didn't sound the same. I guess this might be a very situational attraction for me.
Heel veel gedraaid toen dit album net uit was. En ik vind het nog altijd erg goed. Prachtige zanglijnen en harmonieën. Ik snap dat dit door veel mensen al té zoet zal worden bevonden, maar voor mij is ie precies goed gevallen.
Enjoyed this album quite a bit. Had not heard it before, this was in my "dark times" of not listening to any new music.
Great album. Love the blend of Folk and rock, very similar to My Morning Jacket, perhaps a bit mellower. Always a fun listen.
Really cool folk music. Unexpectedly pretty good. May listen to it more. Feels like it would be traditional even though it was released in 2008.
Brilliant debut with a great harmonious tone with the band and vocals totally in sync like they had been recording for years
Líders, juntament amb Mumford and Sons, del resorgiment del folk rock a finals dels 00s. 'White Winter Hymnal' és un dels grans temes de la década i amenaça amb enfosquir la resta, però no seria just. 'Sun It Rises', 'Ragged Wood', 'Oliver James'... el disc en general és força complet i val la pena recuperar-lo de tant en tant
The production is crystal clear and the melodies are beautiful. However, essentially every song falls into the same form rut: Folky intro followed by two to four minutes of indie rock (especially the indie rock drums) (I say this as someone whose taste is shaped by The Suburbs). Because of that, I think it ultimately falls short of the earlier wave of British folk rock. That said, I may be seeing cliches where there are none, and I am very glad that music like this made it into the post-2000 mainstream. It would be better if it leaned further into what makes it interesting.
Kind of makes me think if the Grateful Dead were really into choral and hymnal music. Peaceful. Great harmonies. Not really my style. Favorite tracks: "Ragged Wood", "Your Protector"
Wonderful harmonies, naturally folksy, nothing too distinct, a Led Zeppelin feel sometimes, He Doesn't Know Why, Your Protector, and Blue Ridge Mountains were the most gripping
This album pretty much paid off what the cover art was promising. It's not something I would reach for frequently, but the folksy vibe strikes me sometimes. 3 stars.
Decent album. Would maybe listen to again under the right conditions. It was a little slow.
Bändi josta kaltaiseni indierockfanin pitäisi kai tykätä. Olen antanut tälle useita mahdollisuuksia aiemminkin mutta ei vaan oikein lähde. Ihan kivaa pääosin akustista fiilistelyä joka menee sisään toisesta korvasta ja ulos toisesta. Ylöspäin pyöristyvä 2,5 tällä kertaa.
Pretty good. Inoffensive and decent background music, but nothing really grabbed me. Will listen again, it's the sort of thing that will grow on me, I think.
I enjoy the vibe of this. Very folk. Almost jester-like. Get a little monotonous after awhile, but, pretty solid.
Some tracks left an impression, but overall delivers a tone that felt like it repeated itself too much.
One of those albums I put on and then a half hour later remember I'm listening to music. Entirely inoffensive, but I'm not seeing the art.
Pleasant harmonies and easy to listen to. Unfortunately not much stands out and makes it memorable. I like it as a pretty unique sound.
Someone mentioned that the Fleet Foxes are kinda like a blend of CSNY and Beach Boys, both of who I don't like, specifically because of their \"glorious harmonies\". I know many of their fans will think this is blasphemous as their harmonies are their calling card. I didn't mind the instrumental songs and I can appreciate the strong production and musicmanship throughout and also the nice Flemish woodblock cover so I'll give this a 3
Ich mag diesen Hipster-Knabenchor ja gern, finde das auf Albumlänge inzwischen aber etwas zu eintönig. Trotzdem: wirklich schöne Musik!
An album I have listened to many times before. A very impressive and soothing album for me as the style of music is not often on my play list, making it a great escape. It's hard to believe that the main singer and songwriter was only 22 when this came out and which shows true individual talent and provides a hidden appreciation for this album that most might miss.
Kuulosti osaavien muusikoiden hommilta, mutta ei oikein iskenyt. Jotenkin tuli sellainen fiilis, että nää vois kiertää firmojen bileissä tai sitten jossain SuomiLOVEssa. Ei häirinnyt ja varmasti joihinkin uppoaa kovastikin.
This is an interesting one to review. Then vocals are quite good - Oliver James is a good example although I'm bound to be favourably disposed to that song based on the song name only. As for the music, on the one hand it has at times a bit of an Irish folk sound which I like. But on the other hand, many songs sound like a hymn you might hear in a church that doesn't have an organ. I can sense that there is something special here that I could probably figure out if, instrumentally, the tunes were in my wheelhouse. But they're not.
I like Fleet Foxes - but this album really didn't hit for me. It was very easy to listen to but nothing stuck out as memorable or requiring another listen. The best was White Winter Hymnal, really enjoyed the sound.
I didn't listen to the full album, the first few songs are very catching. But I lost interested about 4 songs in.
Never really looked at the cover art of this album before but the medieval vibe is definitely strong haha. White Winter Hymnal and Blue Ridge Mountains are always great, but as a whole this album was great for an easy listening/morning chill listen.
Instruments were really good. Vocals seemed to be secondary. Was a good Monday morning drive time listen....
Indie Folk at it's finest. White Winter Hymnal is banger but overall album lacks any edge.
Folky, twee and earnest. Plenty of swelling choral sections. Just a bit too pretentious and slow/boring for me though. I prefer my folk the upbeat kind.
Lots of hype for this album...5 🌟 from allmusic.com. I've listened a couple of times previously, nothing really caught my ear then and nothing changed on this listen. Fine music but not memorable for me. As an aside the program I use to manage my digital library picks random songs based on the album I listened to ...the song that came on after FF ended...Summer Song by James Yorkston was the most interesting song to me during my FF listening session 3 🌟
not a type of music I am used to listening to, but pretty interesting, folksy and peaceful yet melancholic vibes, liked it for the most part (but I prefer Father John Misty solo).
This is good, but I didn't really like it... kinda boring. But I can definitely appreciate it. The singer's voice wasn't the best. This is a tough one to rate...
Well, this is a nice surprise. I had not heard of the band and I don't recall ever hearing any of their music, and now I'm glad to be introduced to them. What an interesting blend of styles, and it all comes together so well. I plan to listen to their other work, too. Good stuff.
I like this. Not sure if it's the album cover influencing me, but I'm getting vibes of medieval england while listening. Some of the guitar is beautiful, especially on Tiger Mountain Peasant Song. I'm surprised this is from the 2000s. I realised I knew a few of the songs towards the end there. Really good album.
3 stars. Too much mellow folk style for me. I will return to fleet foxes, but not to this album
I went through an intense Fleet Foxes period a few years ago and eventually burned out on them. It was nice to therefore go back to this after a considerable break. Lovely sounding album and it has been influential on numerous bands that have recently broken through. That being said, I do think there are a few low points between the standout tracks. Oliver James in particular 😕
I'm not saying it's a bad album, I'm just saying I have listened to it multiple times and I can tell you maybe what two songs sounds like 3/5
Pretty chill. Something I could put in the background in the early mornings or cloudy days.
The best from this album IMO: - Tiger Mountain Peasant Song - Blue Ridge Mountains Sounds a bit too generic for me. Some songs sound the same. Not a big fan of folk music though. 2.8/5
Just an okay album. Enjoyed it well enough in background of a car ride - but doubt I’ll go back to it anytime soon.
A lot of the vocal work sounded like it needed more music behind it. Many tracks sounded like they'd be great backing for a scene in a movie that's supposed to make you "feel". Favorite track: "Your Protector"
Some bangers in here for sure, but it gets a little too pop-folk with some of the oohs and ahhs and kick-tambourine.
Demasiado folk, demasiado! Demasiado sonido indie, demasiado!!!!! Buscas que género es White Winter Hymnal y no encuentras. Lo mejor, la pintura de la portada. Wikipedia tiene una descripción completa de la misma.
Neither fleet nor foxy. Fair play for the folk revival. It's pleasant enough and a bit too smug. The biggest take away is how much I enjoy the cover painting. Pieter Bruegel the Elder rocks like the Fleet Foxes can only dream.
Fleet Foxes by Fleet Foxes (2008) If you like unplugged woodsy wooden music with elaborate four-part vocal arrangements, this album’s for you. The Seattle-based avant-garde folk band Fleet Foxes made quite a splash with this eponymous debut release. Lyrics are outdoorsy and visual enough, but they lack depth and there are frequent mismatches between the natural meter of the lyrics and the meter of the melodies (especially blatant on “Oliver James”—I was impressed with the lyrics but disappointed with the melody to which it was set). We get high reverb, spooky vocal harmonies constructed with inventive but sometimes aimless chord progressions. This is all pleasantly diverting, but where is it heading? The truly outstanding track on this record is “White Winter Hymnal” for its vocal blend and vivid lyrics, with a curious canon head fake at the beginning. This composition could have gone a completely different direction, but I’m kinda glad it didn’t. The only way it could have been improved would have been with a few portable tanks of oxygen. Oh, well. In terms of production and performance, what it lacks in polish and virtuosity it more that makes up for in entertaining quirkiness—kind of like the Pieter Bruegel the Elder painting on the cover. Most of these songs come alive when the rhythm section kicks in. Altogether it’s a good mix of vocals, percussion and plucked strings. Robin Pecknold doesn’t quite have the vocal power to pull off the solo a cappella on the closing track “Oliver James”, but it’s haunting nonetheless. I can’t remember ever hearing a song about discovering a child in a cradle exposed to the elements and then preparing his body (for life? for the grave? for both?). Fascinating. Almost like the Mystery of the Incarnation. 3/5
This was a pleasant listen, pretty, melodic music. Ultimately I find it pretty unmemorable though. I probably will not revisit. Fave Songs: Your Protector, Meadowlarks, Sun It Rises, He Doesn't Know Why
Just alright. I don't find myself feeling driven to want to pursue listening regularly. It's sorta calming and good background music, but not something I'd pursue if I wanted to listen to something.
Was always a fan of ‘Blue Ridge Mountains’ & ‘White Winter Hymnal’, but so pleased that to have discovered other stand out tracks such as ‘Quiet Houses’, ‘Your Protector’ and my personal favourite ‘He Doesn’t Know Why. A couple of the tracks passed me by but the consistency of the album cannot be denied. Harmonies wise, it’s unbelievably good.
It’s fine. There are a lot of good elements, but overall it just doesn’t come together for me and is never greater than the sum of its parts.
First time listen, have seen them on "Later...." and quite liked what I heard. I particularly like "Mykanos" and "White Winter Hymnal" but not over enthralled by their folk rock approach. A little too Hipster for me. (I don't have a beard you see! A good album and can see why it is included on this list.
For when you want to know what it feels like to fall in and out of love with a manic pixie dream girl.
Chilled-out acoustic modern folk. Loved hearing elements I recognised from current psych rock like Tame Impala, as well as 70s folk like Cat Stevens, Tyrannosaurus Rex. Lots of love for "White Winter Hymnal", naturally.
This definitely takes me back to a specific period of the 2000s where a lot of indie music had this folk leaning, and I remember Fleet Foxes being a standout example of the genre at the time. This album is a pleasant enough, easy listen, but that said, it is rather monotonous. After a few songs, it all kind of fades into one (albeit, nice) noise. I particularly liked White Winter Hymnal and Your Protector, and found those to be standout among a lot of dreamy, distant, slow folk songs. I wish this album had been more songs like these.
once i get past my hang-ups about folk, fleet foxes' album is quite beautiful! folk can be difficult for me since it's so different from my typical musical interests. i must be in the right mood to appreciate the subtlety and mellow tune. fleet foxes definitely make it worth it to pay attention! the whole album blends together, but you cannot find a song that isn't pleasing to your ears.
I remember this being a huge album in the college environmental community. God I hated that music. time, distance, and a general broadening of my musical horizons might give me a better chance to listen to this. The harmony work right off the bat is ethereal and tight. Tiger Mountain Peasant Song is a good tune, I just don't like it. These high harmonies and the spacy open verb are good and I can see the appeal, I just don't really like it. its like modern church choir music.
-The part in "White Winter Hymnal" where everything comes in louder is cool -Idk there were cool bits and pieces but nothing built to any cool climaxes or anything
It's very well made in I feel like I'm appreciating it from an arts & crafts level. Some good moments, nothing too exciting generally.
I do like Fleet Foxes but I don't love them. A nice recognisable sound but I always get a little bored.
não acho que esse álbum e a banda como um todo envelheceu tão bem. nunca fui lá um FÃ, mas pelos idos de 2009/10 eu até gostava do pouco que ouvia. hoje, gosto do trabalho solo do Father John Misty, mas acho fleet foxes chato pra caramba
not hard to see why we fell in love with the harmonies and pastoral folk and beach boys style melodies of fleet Foxes, but odd in retrospect why then... in retrospect it sounds less impressive than I remember, it's influences too apparent but still beautiful songs
Takie pogranicze indie-psycho-folk pop-rocku. Muzyka raczej spokojna z dość bogatą warstwą instrumentalno-wokalną. Słuchało się całkiem przyjemnie, ale nie porwało. Taka chillowa muzyczka w tle trochę.
A little familiar already. Highlights: Quiet Houses, Meadowlarks, Blue Ridge Mountains.
Genre: Chamber Folk 3/5 An album that started like a soft fart and ended like a soft fart, Fleet Foxes' eponymous debut album is a soft fart. Not offensive, soft and airy, but a little stinky. This album has one constant sonic pastel throughout its run time, lush, pretentious, mid-aughts folk music, and those 16-17 year olds (plus the majority of music critics) ate it up with such relish that some were dubbing it one of music's best debut records ever... Let's not get crazy. This is some decently arranged pop music, with pretty strings and decent production, but overall a soft fart. White Winter Hymnal, by the far the best song on the album, a choral style folk song with some beautiful vocal performances, is the biggest highlight here. Unfortunately, as it's the 2nd song on the album, it immediately goes to work overshadowing anything that comes after it. Songs like He Doesn't Know Why and Blue Ridge Mountains, both decent indie folk jams in their own right, sit in the tsunami-sized wake of White Winter Hymnal, and have no chance to come out on top. Decent, listenable, boring, but certainly not the best debut album ever made. Not by a long shot.
Was up and down with this one. On one hand, I quite like the beach boysesque harmonies an d sound, but because of that sometimes found the cleanliness of the modern production distracting. Didn't hate it, and had some high points that sounded great, but uneven and failed to click as a whole.
Used to have this album on my iTunes back when that was something that people used. It's pleasant, but few songs stand out to me. I much prefer their second album, from what I can remember.
Blei lei av fleet foxes for mange år siden, men huske at eg syns da va greit på eit tidspunkt
Goed aan te horen, maar door die voortdurende samenzang krijgt het ook wel een hoog geitenwollensokken-seventies-gehalte.
Mjah, wel goed ofzo maar al de zoete harmonieën gingen me op den duur toch wel tegenstaan.
I like some indie folk, but I’m not much for hymnal style harmonies. So there are elements of this record I like, mainly instrumental, but overall I would never put this on to listen to.
This is gonna be hipster shit hey. Aaaaand yep it's some modern folk crap, a hipster's dream. Fuck this. 2/5.
Walgesangartige, belanglose Mehrstimmigkeit, die man schon seit Jahrzehnten GENAU SO gehört hat wie hier (zum Beispiel bei Pink Floyd), als die Platte des Jahres zu verstehen, ist ein musikkritischer Kunstgriff, den mir mal jemand erklären müsste. Nicht ganz schlecht, aber auch kein Mittelmaß.
Viel hallig-harmonischer Gesang von bärtigen Jünglingen, zuckrig flattern die Gitarren durch einen auf sexy Retro getrimmten Klangraum. Es wird bis zur Herzmuskelzerrung gesehnt und Tiefgründigkeit in einer ARTE-tauglichen Verkleidung vorgegaukelt, dass ich mich zwischenzeitlich frage, ob dies überhaupt noch satirisch zu toppen wäre, so brachial ist dieser Emotionale Mummenschanz. Als Zeitgenosse darf ich festhalten, dass ich diese kalkulierte Hipster Geschichte damals doof und saftlos fand und nun hoffte, vielleicht falsch gelegen zu haben, um mich nun in meiner ursprünglichen Meinung bestätigt zu wähnen, was die spätere Coldplay’isierung dieser mittlerweile in mit Indie-Girls pickepackevollen Stadien aufspielenden Bühnen-Baristas unterstreicht. Jogi Löw will scho au mehr als 1.8
Remind me oddly a little of Fairport Convention. But if they got Jack White to play along.
I quite enjoyed it but found it almost entirely instantly forgettable. Your Protector perhaps the only track that stood out to me and for a 40min album it really felt like a drag to get through. Realistically I can’t see myself going back to this, even in parts. So that’s a 2/5 in my book.
Music for Subaru commercials. Bit of a snoozefest. Some poignant moments but lots of lags. Started liking some songs and realized that Spotify went on a similar artist shuffle, so yeah no need to ever hear this album again.
I’ve actually never heard one of their albums before. Not bad, but it seems like every one of these songs have been used in an ad that include the words ‘In these unprecedented times…’ or ‘We will get through this together..’ - Won’t be added to the library.
not my thing but learned where the sample from Hell of a Night by Travis Scott came from so worth it.
Decent folk album, great vocals, very minimal instruments and lack of innovation. The production is great also, but I only liked the song White Winter Hymnal.
Originally going by the name "The Pineapples", a name clash with another local band prompted a change…” I wonder if this clash came to blows. I also wonder what the OG Pineapples are up to.
Wanted to like this one but it didn't click. No bad songs but nine that are sticking with me. Can't name a song I listened to. This would be a band I'd probably love to see live but probably not listen to an album.
Rarely gets interesting enough for me to want to keep listening. They spend so much time crafting these meticulous arrangements for what are really incredibly boring songs
Fleet Foxes are a band I think I should like but have never really managed to get into, aside from a few songs here and there. It's clearly a cohesive debut album and nice enough, but I found it pretty bland and not very memorable. Maybe it would reward further listens? 2.5.
Cute little folksy vibe. Like the Lumineers or Mumford and Sons. Not my style, but it wasn't bad.
There's something contrary about leaving one of the best songs of the 21st century (Mykonos) off your debut album. I've really worked at this album over the years. But, I'm sorry to report, there's much less to it than meets the eye.
I remember liking this album when it came out and still enjoyed the harmonies of it all but there is a reason I have not listened to it in the last decade. Just too slow for me.
More folk. I had basically the same thing yesterday. It all just blends together into a forgettable glob of acoustic guitar. Enjoyed it slightly more than yesterday's Joan Armatrading, but please give me an actual face-melter obliteration hyper mega-satan metal tomorrow. I don't even like metal but please, I need something more exciting.
White Winter Hymnal is a nice song but this is a bit whimsical and lacking in edge for me
the biggest beef i have with this album is that it was the precursor to so much more folk toss. we'd managed to fuck off folk music around the 70s so it's mad it took 40 years and a new wave of rustic adverts to bring it back. i get the feeling that this wasn't supposed to be an album that more than 10 people listened to, made by a bunch of choristers who found out about guitars when their balls dropped. pretty sure i just described myself there. falls into the category of it's well done but i don't like listening to it.
This was a really boring one. It had some parts that were pleasant background music, but really never much more than that.
This is fine. A couple of stand out songs, but I’ve never seen what the fuss is about.
I listened to this a few times when it came out and it didn't grab me. Some nice harmonies but it still doesn't do much for me
This starts off pretty strong with some Crosby, Stills, and Nash vibes. The vocal melodies remain impressive into the second track, but the band settles into the whoa-oh BS that ruined folksy indie rock. The third song is more of the same. This is a band I've avoided for years because this is exactly what I've expected from them. The vocal harmonies are a pleasant surprise, but twee instrumentation that's just made for a commercial for some tech company that promises to bring people closer together is so, so, so cringey. I know this technically predates the 2010s, but this is the sound we will remember when we look back on the 2010s, and not in a good way. Much like how the entire decade of the 2000s will be summarized by ARE YOU GONNA BE MY GIRL and shutter sunglasses, the 2010s will be this sound and the lumbersexual look.
I mean, I love reverb as much as the next man, but there's sometimes too much of a good thing.
Przeleciało bez większego wow. Miało parę przyjemniejszych utworów, ale chyba koncept był fajniejszy niż samo wykonanie niestety...
This isn't my favorite style of music. I've tried to get into them several times in the past and it's just.. meh.
Not my style at all. Didn’t really enjoy the album, couldn’t listen all the way through. 4/10
Very relaxing album, gave me a lot of Mumford and sons vibes. Not bad just not my normal cup of tea.
Have never really enjoyed Fleet Foxes. I've always found it a bit boring. Though, now that I'm turning into an old man, I don't mind it as much.
I guess they are their generation's Turin Brakes? But more English: they sound uncanny and unsettling to me, they make me think of The Wicker Man even though I've never seen that film.
this makes me feel like i’m going through the great depression and the album cover isn’t helping
Nice album, 4/5.