Fleet Foxes

quite okay. cute even. daint

An album that I should love. Have listened so many times over the years and still only really think it’s average. Don’t know why but I just don’t get it for some reason.

I have heard these guys on compilations but never listened to a full album. Post-listen: I like this album! I wouldn't want to listen to these guys all the time, but I enjoyed it. I'm struggling with the rating to give it because it seems better than a 3-star but not quite a 4-star for me. We need half-stars! Favorite song: "Blue Ridge Mountains" (mention my home in a non-derogatory way and you get points!)

Some highs and lows but ultimately an easy listen album that would do better in the right setting. Trying to not hold the style against it as it's been heavily overplayed by now.

Folk music isn't really for me. This has an interesting twist of indie rock that gives it some colour, but it still lacks something. I tried to find some delight buried deep beneath the surface, but the surface is thin and watery. Samey and slightly unimaginative.

Pleasant. Harmless.

I've never been much of a fan of folk music, but this was definitely a great album for what it was. The production value on it is great, and every sound is crisp and has a very clean feel to it. The vocals were great, and I loved the storytelling in the lyrics. I have to give it props for being, by far, the best folk album I have got on this generator thus far. There was a unique quality to it that made it a very interesting listen, although I can't exactly place my finger on what it is. It has all the aspects of a folk album, but something about it sets it apart from other albums of the same genre. That being said, as I mentioned before, it isn't a genre I am particularly fond of.

You like this more than you think.

1. Sun It Rises - 4 Banjo and guitars sound good but lyrically it's a forgettable track. The kind of track that just mellows out into a background sound, like the type you'd hear in a department store fitting room. 2. White Winter Hymnal - 5 It's exactly like the first track in terms of the critique I have. Instruments are a little heavier this time, including an electric guitar, but the structure is exactly the same as that first track. 3. Ragged Wood - 7 Much better sound both vocally and instrumentally. All around a decent track, even with a more mellow tone from the start of the song that leads into the bridge, which builds well. Solid stuff. 4. Tiger Mountain Peasant Song - 6 It's an okay song. Vocally it's great, instrumentally it's very simple. Lyrically it's good. Not anything that will rock your socks off. 5. Quiet House - 1 It's way too repetitive. By the end of the three and a half minutes you are almost begging for the track to turn over. 6. He Doesn't Know Why - 8 The piano at the end feels unnecessary but it still sounds nice and overall this is a good sounding track. Vocals on it are really enjoyable and the highlight of the song. 7. Heard Them Stirring - 7 It's a hymn and there are no actual lyrics. Having said that, the sound is quite pleasant and the beat of the drum is the highlight of the track. Enjoyable even if overly simplistic. 8. Your Protector - 9 The vocals are solid on this track and the drum has an amazingly quiet role in helping push the song along in a very good fashion. The strums of the guitars sound excellent. 9. Meadowlarks - 10 Lovely song. Lyrically strong, instrumentally a brilliant tone that sets the mood for what is a grim metaphor. Best track on the album. 10. Blue Ridge Mountains - 8 Fun sounding song but the tempo pace between the quick parts (which are brilliant) and the slow parts tend to suck the life out of the song a little bit. It's not that the song shouldn't have them, but they're too frequent and sudden that it becomes hard to enjoy just how good the full crescendo of instruments are. 11. Oliver James - 2 Vocals dominate the track but lyrically it doesn't hold up. The track is confusing in its meaning and does not have much instrumentals to offer as a rebut. Those instrumentals also cut out before the vocals at the only thing left to lead the track. Weak song to end the album on. Average Rating: 6.09 Adjusted to a 5-Point Scale: 3.05 Rounded Down: 3 Stars

Surprisingly didn’t enjoy the experience of a whole album listen even though i love individual songs.

When I started this challenge I decided to limit the scope to these categories: punk/post punk/new wave/britpop/shoegaze/indie. I like other genres of music but I thought this would help me to avoid things that I have no interest in. I've had a lot of 80's pop (presumably passed off as new wave) but I'm genuinely not sure where this fits with my selection. I'm doing another challenge at the same time which I restricted to country/folk and this album came up there too which makes more sense. I gave it three stars and I stand by that.

its alright

Really captures the raw talent of Baker while Fela demonstrates all the positives of fusion music while completely missing any pitfalls of the genre. Others come off as boring and pretentious trying to pull this off but Kuti paves his own way. Masterful! Pure energy. It is somehow both an album you could have a dance party to or have on in the background while having a chill dinner party

30/1001 :: Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes Heard before? ✅ Would I revisit? ✅ Rating: 6.5 Fav Tracks: Your Protector, Ragged Wood I ummmm think I’ve heard this before. I’m pretty sure that I have but not many times. Maybe once. As you guys know I like a lot of folk music so I should love this but for some reason I’ve been having a tough time getting into them. It’s a dynamic folk album. Feels old world (hence the cover art) and biblical at times but done in a modern way. I think there’s something about the voice that’s never landed with me. That said, I enjoyed this listen and should/will probably revisit.

Zuhause, Heidenheim, Deutschland. Gefällt ganz gut.

I recall listening to this when it first came out, wanting to like it more than I actually did. I feel that way with most of the folk/roots rock movement of the 2000’s and 2010’s. Some bands and albums are better than others, but I’m apparently not their audience. This is well made and well performed, but I only really liked a few songs.

Some of the best folk songs I've heard in a while but with lyrics that are predominantly depressing and morbid. No happy tunes here.

nice......nice......not thrilling............but nice

Not bad. A little too echoey for me.

Songs better heard in a playlist, a little too much harmonizing song after song

Not really for me

Fleet Foxes popped onto the scene during the time roots music had its big moment with Arcade Fire and Mumford & Sons gaining huge popularity. So around the late-2000s-mid-2010s. Fleet Foxes had a nice little run as the little brothers of those two. My Morning Jacket kind of jump-started this trend about 10 years before it got huge, and frankly, MMJ does it better. This album is full of great harmonies and folk mixed with a dash of rock. As I’m listening back to it now, I’m finding it more enjoyable than yesterday’s listen. I enjoy this type of music, but I need to be in the right mood for it. The whole time I listened to this album yesterday, I thought, “I need to listen to more MMJ." Standout tracks for me on Fleet Foxes' self-titled debut are Sun It Rises, Ragged Woods, Tiger Mountain Peasant Song, He Doesn’t Know Why, with my favorite track being Your Protector.

very melodic, songs seem to blend into each other, great album to take a nap too

I had high hopes for this record having heard some Fleet Foxes. This record was a lot more downbeat than I expected and I can respect not relying on hooks, but it is hard to distinguish the songs. I like the instrumentation and they certainly achieved the unique sound they were going for.

When it started, I thought "Oh great, another indie folk album I'm gonna hate." But I didn't hate it. I think it's an interesting album. As a recording, it's interesting to study. It's pretty in spells. It's obviously influenced by religious choral music, with the rounds and harmonies and organ accompaniment, but placing those influences in the context of acoustic American folk music makes each more interesting, I think.

had to take a long break before listening to this but I actually enjoyed it more than I initially thought I would. I enjoyed the first half more and my favourite was definitely white winter hymnal.

Modern folk vibes. Mid

Love the harmonies and white winter hymnal is a personal favorite. Some of the middle tracks started to fall a little flat for me though so not a perfect score on this one but still enjoyed it. Would be a good album to listen to on a hike.

nice ambiance but not many real showstoppers, stronger front than back half of the album highlights: Sun It Rises, White Winter Hymnal, He Doesn’t Know Why, Your Protector

a little repetitive at parts, but for the most part very good and i like the vibe

I appreciate the sound but it’s boresville to these ears

I like how relaxing it is. The vocal sound fits well with the instrumental sound Edit Apr 15 2026: 4 --> 3

I've always been kind of lukewarm on Fleet Foxes. A lot of my complaints about Sufjan Stevens also apply to them -- there's this layer of preciousness that kind of takes me out of their music a bit. They kind of remind me of a less rocking, more precious My Morning Jacket. Still, I think there's a couple of great songs here in "White Winter Hymnal" and "He Doesn't Know Why". 3.5 stars.

Poor man's Neil Young

Det svinger nu meget godt.

Folk-revivalen i slutningen af 00erne, må være en af de mest spøjse trends i musikverdenens historie. Hvor kom den fra? Og hvor blev den af igen? Var det en modvægt til Garage-revivalen der havde skyllet ind i starten af årtiet? Eller var det en reaktion på vækst, pling og plang og begyndende finanskrise? Musikalsk fungere det fint for mig som radiomusik. En sang med Mumfords & Sons her, en melodi fra The Rumour Said Fire der og lidt Fleetfoxes i ny og næ, er helt okay når det mixes med andre genre. Men et helt album bliver sgu lige lang nok i længden. Det tror jeg kun er Bon Iver jeg kan klare.

I've never really been able to get into this album, I gave it another try today and it played softly in the background while I got on with other things, not horrible but not exactly arresting either. A pleasant listen but I don't feel like it's a particularly memorable one.

Takes me back. Was very into this for a while.

Sounded good, very well produced and every note seems to placed in there with intention. Some of the songs were kinda catchy. But overall, it all seemed to be very... safe. Not precisely what I would enjoy, but not something that I would hate either.

Some very nice harmonies and a few catchy tunes. But for the most part this is background music. It may encapsulate a time and place, but this album is probably a sleeper for most. It's fine. Not bad but not amazing. Probably did not need to hear this before I died.

Very good, but this band never quite met their true potential in my opinion

I’ve always found FF to be quite bland, and nothing has really changed for me on this listen. It’s borderline co-worker music. White Winter Hymnal is nice. 2.9/5

Im lost with these guys. I can’t really pin down their sound. They are sort of a slow Coheed and Cambria, mixed with the Mars Volta and Spiritualized. I really like the music but the vocals and words lack for me. Choice cut: Tiger Mountain Peasant Song

Nonie vo dere Band ghört aber ganz e sanfti und netti Überraschig gsi. 1,2 lieder gspeicheret, aber au fast bizli z herzig für min gschmack. Wills ahgnehms gesinge isch gits trotzdem 3 Fleet Foxes für Fleet Foxes by Fleet Foxes

Good Album, I don’t know if I will hear it again though.

Not the best album but the Foxes have a really cool sound. Inspired me to check out more of their stuff

Borders on douchey at times but was ok

-White Winter Hymnal -Ragged Wood -Quite houses -He doesnt why

Honestly not bad. I was expecting it to be a lot worse. It's honestly a step up from most folk-ish music that gets popular, so good for FF for crafting something with substance. That said, I don't know how often I'd come back to this.

Meh

Nice

Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes I liked this one, the folky indie feel is very pleasant and the vocals are very good. The album does blend together a little but the songs by and large are very good and have a calming feel. I’m around a 3.5 but that’ll get rounded up to a light 4/5

Leuke Beach Boys-invloeden. Heb het al vaker geprobeerd met deze plaat, maar het raakt me nooit helemaal.

Nice album without a real leading song 6/10

Some moments that I enjoyed and overall an album I liked. But it does feel like try hard folk music at times. 3/5

Tranquilo para poner de fondo

Fey Millennials

I mean cool… I guess, just some indie with pretty nice harmonies. 3 stars

Ikke hørt siden en gang på Platekompaniet rundt 2010. Veldig behagelig lytt, men ikke så mye mer. Kanskje noe farget av all musikken som kom i årene etter (stomp, clap, hey).

Chill vibe, nice songs, but they kinda all blurred into one.

Yesssss

Kinda disappointed on this one. Its just too simple and boring. Like if this is your jam I bet its really your jam. Ain't mine

2008. Chill indie folk album that was popular back in the late 2000's.

dali rade

This was surprisingly nice, fairly chill stuff.

good for background listening

Enjoyable record but at a certain point reverb is just autotune for folk bands. Love some of the guitar picking though

Not bad, but a little soft and round for my tastes - considering the genre and the stir this album caused in the press at it s release that's a bit surprising. There is one song from it on my "liked" list.

La música evoca lo mismo que la portada

I have always had disdain for this type of ethereal indie music. Some if it definitely has to do with being 18 when this was released and being resistent to anything not 90's rap or classic rock. I do think the general sound is a bit pretentious - while we're down here on earth groveling they're floating above the rest of us with flutes and just the right amount of reverb. I think Noah Kahan is the new version of this. All that being said - it does sound pretty nice. "He Doesn't Know Why" bops. I think for my personal taste its a 2 but adding a point as a counterweight for my repressed teenage angst.

I enjoyed it more than I thought. Vocal harmonies and song structure were really.cool. nit exactly my style so probably won't come back to it but wouldn't mind listening again. 3.5, I round down 1=Crap that shouldn't be here 2=I didn't like it but get why it's here 3=I thought it was ok or even like it, get why it's here, but won't revisit 4=I like it, will revisit 5=This is some of the best music I've ever heard and will continue listening to it

easy listening, feel like I should listen to this driving through the mountains

Woodsypilled. Previously only listened to 1 song off of this album (White Winter Hymnal) that I also had to perform and learn for an a cappella group I was in in high school (hated the song when I learned it; grew to enjoy it as a fond memory) Wrote down the following note on my spreadsheet: "just pleasant background noise; relaxing (i also can totally see why this would have been a big deal when it came out; this sound had such a chokehold on people when I was growing up, wonder why)" Favorite Song: Ragged Wood

Not really digging this one Not too much of Indie/folk

Nice enough, I'd listen again

Bought this album when it was released and not listened to for a good few years. Some good tracks, White Winter hymnal, Tiger Mountain Peasant Song being my favourites. Too many musical interludes for my taste which become a bit overpowering and annoying 5/10

Hmmm not my taste but good

This was a beautiful record that was very well produced, and I hear a lot of similarities to The Shins. Some songs were a bit boring, but I can’t deny the polish and arrangements on display here.

Pretty, but this is a classic “background noise vinyl” record for me. The songs sound great but don’t move me in any particular way. White Winter Hymnal is still a banger.

Testing, how does this look? Probably just gonna text you -kz

Vocals and production was very good just overall its not really what I like. Bit droned and didn’t really feel like there was any emotion to it.

Interesting album listen. Would not have picked this, but has peaked my curiosity to dive into their discography.

Bought this when it came out based on the reviews and it should have been right up my street. Despite repeated listenings it never really connected with me emotionally and tended to just fade into background meanderings. Favourite track White Winter Hymnal.

Todellakin sateisen päivän tunnelmamusiikkia. Parasta Fleet foxesia (harhaudun aina suosituksista kuuntelemaan enkä syty). Tällaiselle akustiselle hymnifolkille on paikka mun sydämessä. Vois olla nelonen, mutta koska ajatus harhailee kuunnellessa, puolikas tähti tippuu.

Pretty good, I'm guessing this was the origination of all the stomp-clap-hey songs that released in the few years after this.

It's kind of quintessential '00s indie music. Even though that kind of independant music became quite mainstream at the time. It's not bad, but it's pretty inoffensive and lack some edges. Probably why it got so popular back then.

It's an alright album.

Better than expected.

nice folk album

feels holy and something you listen to in summer while driving through grassy hills

Fleet fox doesn’t dazzle often but is constantly well executed and beautiful … white winter is a great track

Meh, it's nearly invisible background music.

Not my style.

every track on this album sounds like a song you'd hear on a toyota commercial and be like "hey what's that song" (respectful)

another album so cohesive it just feels like one long song. and that's fine! the song is okay

I thought this was fine. My other half asked me again what the criteria are for being included on this list, reminded me CSN&Y already exists, and called it "a bit derivative" - hard to argue.

A sunny sundaymorning with a cup of coffee , this album and a good book...

This was very intresting. Very folksy.

pretty good, a little too soft for me but still lovely

Nice music to start the workday with. Easy on the ear but not too distracting. Too bad there isn't really a hit in between

This album was not one of my favorites!! I just couldn't get into it.

that unmistakable life is strange 2000s teen indie vibe

nice

Maybe I’m not hipster enough to like these guys. Maybe I need to grow a beard.

This is my first time hearing this. It was pretty good, so I listened to it again. Although it was enjoyable, there was nothing that really stood out. "Your Protector" and "Blue Ridge Mountains" were particular favorites.

Good for a lazy sunday afternoon

Some chill indie music, ive never really listened to any indie so yeah

Actively avoided this for years because I thought it was some Arctic Monkeys adjacent Indie land fill but was pleasantly surprised to find that it really wasn't that. Not totally in awe of it but could get into with a few listens

This was pretty good folksy stuff.

This was my mom’s shit when I was in high school and I can’t listen again lol

I didn't dislike this album, but I wasn't over the moon for it either. It was super chill and laid back and folksy - but didn't quite hit the spot for me. Either way, I'm glad I've listened to it! 3 Stars only because it wasn't my general taste in music!

Beaux arrangements, belles mélodies et harmonies, lumineux et doux

Indie pop rock fizzes

tell me why i had no idea they sang “white winter hymnal” 😭 i only knew the song from the pentatonix cover because my family and i used to play that during christmas time, but wow. i knew it was a cover, but i just never thought it was some indie early 00s song—but what do ya know. i really underestimated this album, but robin’s voice—wowww. so freaking good. such a feel-good, going-on-a-nature-trail kind of vibe with this one. this album kind of reminds me of middle school me, when i would play indie video games like life is strange, and they would have folk indie music in the background, like when the artist daughter played. that being said, i liked “white winter hymnal,” “he doesn’t know why,” “heard them stirring,” and “your protector.” i will have to say, though, “ragged wood” and “tiger mountain peasant song” were just 👌 overall, i do not really know when i will listen to this again—maybe when i am feeling very adventurous or maybe in the spirit of winter. 💚

I liked it … but not rushing for a second listen

It lacks of substance, but not terribly bad. 5/10

Very pleasant autumnal record with gorgeous vocals and harmonies. 'White Winter Hymnal' is the obvious highlight - the circling, hypnotic verse builds and builds until only the gorgeous vocals remain. While everything else is a step down to this, the album is still atmospheric and consistent to keep you engaged. Best Tracks: - White Winter Hymnal - Your Protector - Blue Ridge Mountains Worst Tracks: - Meadowlarks Rating: 6.5/10

Very nice album - beautifully recorded folk rock. 3.5 stars

i’m not a particularly folksy person, but i enjoyed having this on. not something i’d come back to though. 3.5

The higgeldy piggeldy cover worries me. Opening strains aren't promising, but once they get going with the harmonies it is really pretty. An exception the the general rule that less singing and more instrumental breaks are better, here I am enjoying the vocals more than the music. Overall I find the modern greensleeves vibe offputtingly pretentious but not entirely unpleasant to listen to. "Your Protector" would not be out of place on a White Lotus sound track. I can imagine situations where I might come back to listen again. I think Fleet Foxes probably deserves a spot on this list.

Może być, nie mój klimat, jedna piosenka mi się podobala

When it came to put it was one of the leading albums in the nu-folk wave that came out in the mid-2000s. It felt so new and different, on a more recent listen I can appreciate the musicianship, vocal harmonies and production, but it didn’t catch me like I remember. There are still some standout tracks - White Winter Hymnal being still the most compelling - but it seems that there are parts of the album that fade into one another. A more average album than I remember…perhaps I just wasn’t in the right mood…

I feel like when I was 22 I really liked this album.

I've definitely heard this at some point. Maybe a MWE pick back when that was a thing. Don't really remember literally any of the songs. It's like ridiculously pretty music that I just don't really care about that much. "Blue Ridge Mountains" kind of a banger though.

This is different. It is sort of folk, sort of contemporary soft pop, I think it is actually called progressive folk or the like. It is both interesting and emotional, maybe a bit too experimental in certain instances, maybe it doesn't matter. It is as if I keep defaulting to "it is different." It gives a range from background music to deeply meaningful with bits of "I could do without that little section there." I think because of the complexity of it it does not fall easily into "this is really something special" category and remains as an "I need to listen to more of this, to understand it better" sort of thing. I would like to give it quite a high rating, but I will be a bit more cautious. I do recommend it, but I think it requires a few listens to "find" in a way.

It has some stellar songs, but some just don't do it for me. As some have beach boys like harmonies, while others sound like stuff the lumineers would sing. 3.5

American folk revival without the hey ho? Heyll yeah. Some of these tracks make me sleepy

I didn’t hate or love this one, and it turned out to be a chill album on a Friday morning. Overall it was a fine album, but not one I’ll remember down the road.

New for me. Enjoyed it

Fine, but all the songs seem to blend and sound the same. Maybe just the vocals are delivered in the same style with little variation.

I think the musicality was too high to earn less than a three. But besides the big song, Winter Hymn or whatever, they all blended together.

The band reminded me a little like Arcade Fire, but more low key. I liked the Brian May-esque soundscapes in "Meadowlarks", that was pretty cool. The ending song "Oliver James" was a very powerful statement. I really liked the starkness of it. I don't know if it's something I will listen to again, but I kinda dug it. Top songs: "Meadowlarks," "Sun It Rises," "White Winter Hymnal," "Oliver James"

On the one hand, I appreciate this album and consider it very good music. On the other hand, it doesn’t make me want to listen regularly.

A lovely album and White Winter Hymnal has long been a favorite.

Not my thing but alright

Mysigt men inget som stack ut

Ja dit is dus echt hele fijne wegluister muziek. Als dit folk is, vind ik het een stuk beter te trekken dan Simon & Garfunkel wat dan weer een stuk minimaler is en kalmer. Hier zit iets meer pit in, misschien door de drums, misschien door de grotere nadruk op gitaar. Het is wel nog steeds wat slappig, maar het voordeel is dat dit album letterlijk niet eens 40 minuten duurt. Dan ben je er prima snel doorheen en heb je nauwelijks tijd om je kapot te ergeren aan het gezapige geluid. Ja dit is best wel prima, ik kan me voorstellen dat ik dit best wel eens wil luisteren op een luie zondagochtend ofzoiets. Ok kom hier toch weer een beetje van terug. Had het idee dat ik al bijna klaar was met dit album en toen bleek dat ik pas op het 4e nummer zat. Het gaat toch wel een beetje vervelen na een tijdje. Het is een prima folk album, niet zo actief slap als Simon & Garfunkel, maar het funkt nog steeds niet bepaald de pan uit. FAVO: White Winter Hymnal, Blue Ridge Mountains

Blue Mountain Ridge is amazing, aside from that, I found this a bit bland

Really like this album.

Thoroughly pleasant

Good chill would work well on a playlist with Lord Huron and mount joy.

I get why people like bands like this but they kind of get on my nerves. Not terrible, but just a little too sensitive bearded guy at the party.

Pretty music

Interesting, contemplative album. Winter seems like a good time to get this one.

i've listened to it three times and it hasn't moved me yet sadly

This album is fine. Nice. Calm. If you’re in the right mood, it is quite pleasant. It’s good background music. The music doesn’t illicit any kind of real feeling or emotion for me. I don’t love it. I don’t hate it. It’s just there. 3 stars seems right.

I had a hate on for these guys when they first came out. I think I was just mad that they were popular. Good harmonies.

*yawn*

This album cover is pretty great and this almost feels like strange folk gospel music. Kind of odd, worth hearing once.

This is kind of bland. I have never heard this before. Not that dissimilar to the other folk rock acts during the same time, less shouting "HEY" Tiger mountain song caught my attention. Blueridge Mountain had some decent components. This album had moments, but it never popped for me. I could convince myself that I like it, but I don't see myself revisiting this. It feels like a colouring book that hasn't been colored yet. Might have some interesting pictures, but ultimately empty. 2.5

indiekuraa. mutta kurastakin, voi löytää rikkauksia. monet kävelevät sivusta, kiertävät kaukaa. jotkut ehkä kävelevät suoraan yli, päältä ja marssivat maaliinsa päättäväisesti.. mutta muut.. harvat muut.. nöyränä kumartaa ja halajaa rikkauksia.. paljaalla kädellä kaapii kuraa.. melkein aina käteen jää, vain kuraa. märkää ja likaista. mutaista ja pehmeää. mutta joskus, joskuus harvoin voi löytää jotain muuta. koira kakkaa. mutta koira syönyt timantin. keskellä kakkakokkeroa timantti. mutta pystyy vaan saada jos syö tiensä sinne, syö kakkapökäleen saadakseen timantin. ja sitten palauttaa oikealle omistajalle, ei vissiin ole sinun omaisuuttani.. jollekin muulle hyvin tärkeä esine. hwire winter hymnal

Kind of a lesser coldplay. Not bad but nothing special. Good music overall and good arrangements but not an amazing mindblowing album. The last song was horrible amd it ended it with a sour note

A nice folky rock sound. All the songs are sort of the same, but they're all nice.

Enjoyed a lot of this album, although I couldn't shake the feeling I was constantly at the end of a movie.. a lot of it felt like the music you hear at the end of a film, where things haven't gone quite the way the lead protagonist had hoped.. but despite that, he's gained something far more valuable, the thing he'd chased the entire film, was right in front of him the whole time.. pick any song from the first half of the album, and imagine that worn out scenario, as the main character smiles to himself and walks away, stinking of self empowerment, plus there'll probably be a sequel he can change his mind in anyway. Regardless, that's Hollywood's fault, not Fleet Foxes.. I just would have preferred some bigger moments on the album, a bang, some musical climax.. and not so much grand edging. A solid 3 from me overall.

It was nice

Some interesting songs and harmonies.

The harmonies and the echo effect on the vocals feel like listening to honey. The actual music is a bit dull, but a decent listen on a cold winter day. Never listened to this album the whole way through when it was popular and I kinda see why. You kinda get the best and jist with the singles

Same year as For Emma, doesn't hold a candle

ok

Chill, I enjoyed this in the background. I'll add a couple songs to my folk/country/soft indie playlist, but that doesn't mean I love this album. I'm just not mad about it.

Good folksy album

fine

Decent folk sounding music but missing any song that stands out. 3 stars or C-.

Tasteful playing, considered songwriting, thoughtful arrangements - although they mostly seem to peter out. It is the vocal harmonies that dominate however: high, ornate, and, while tracked, double-tracked, and triple-tracked, still strangely thin. Somewhere between sacred harp singing and Simon & Garfunkel, without the emotional welly of either. Unlike Simon & Garfunkel, Fleet Foxes are not all gone to look for America, but have rather retreated into a Waldenesque fantasy of America, with fake folk songs, fake snow, and fake women in the woods. Perhaps 'In the Airplane Over The Sea' is responsible for all the multi-instrumental Salvation Army indie bands that came in the decade that followed, but, in Jeff Mangum, they had a genuine fantasist, an electric eccentric. The Fleet Foxes' romance is more artisanal than artistic, running off a small generator in a national park campsite, while pretending to be pioneers. If I must have drums worn with a strap, interweaving vocal lines, and musicians in old style coats, living ahistorical fantasies, then I want it to be fun - the real Kings of the Wild Frontier are Adam and the Ants. 3 I find this album very easy to admire and impossible to love. The songwriting is excellent - or at least the music is; the lyrics will certainly do very well, although being American West Coast rural fantasy nostalgia of the mid-Noughties they draw inescapable comparison with Joanna Newsom’s Ys from a year or two before and feel very slight by comparison with the vivid, arresting poetry of that album. But the production… here is a cautionary tale of an album. I can only fantasise about how I might love this set of songs if they had been given any sort of edge by a producer with a vision. As it is… Youse love yer reverb anyway don’t yous yis c#*ts yis? 3/5

7/10 Highlights: He Doesnt Know Why Ragged Wood White Winter Hymnal Your Protector

It's not bad but nothing to write home about. Everything kind of blends into one song type of thing. 2.5-3

Pretty good. Never heard of them before and not really my style but they’re talented.

it was pretty good, some really good songs, some slow ones that are kind of snoozer.

Nice sounds, nice songs. This album is in my core genre, but there’s not a lot that’s surprising about it. I like it (3) but, I’ll take Neil Young to the desert island instead.

Chill album. Nice to have in the background.

Reading some of the reviews I was hoping I would enjoy this one more. Decent background songs but I was overtired on a bumpy flight so it may have suffered from my atmosphere. I’ll need to revisit Fleet Foxes, I usually enjoy indie music

This reminds me of a less sad lord Huron w more of a mix of Hosier. I didn’t think I had heard any of his songs until the “White Winter Hymnal” came on, and I definitely know that one.

Kedvenc/Favourite: Your Protector Hát, nem igazán fogott meg. Kicsit unalmas volt számról-számra is, meg összességében is. Nem volt rossz, de nem tudnám kiemelni mi volt jó benne. Alapvetően szeretem az ilyesmi zenét, de nem talált meg valahogy. Well, it wasn't really engaging. It was a bit boring, both song by song and overall. It wasn't bad, but I can't really point out what was good about it. I like this kind of music in general, but it somehow didn't resonate with me.

The Beach Boys head for the mountains but forget to bring their hooks. White Winter Hymnal is good.

Mellow and enjoyable liked the collaboration with Posty

Just ok, nice interwoven indie-alternative-folk harmonies.

Reminds me of Mumford and Sons but without the accents and catchy tunes. Good but not my style.

Not bad. 2.5

Not particularly memorable. Probably great background music, but not really my thing.

Boring lol

I don't know. It was fine, I guess. It could certainly be on while I did dishes or something, and I'd be entirely okay. It was dull, though.

Nothing memorable at all. Good background coffee shop music.

Loved White Winter Hymnal. Like the back boys but for cold weather. The choral parts are just sublime. Not as keen on the rest of the album. Not because there is anything wrong with it. They are good at what they do. Just not my bag.

I avoided the 00's indie-folk movement like the plague at the time. Which is odd, because I actually enjoy a lot of folk music. It was just everywhere, and it all sounded the same, and it seemed so vapid compared to the politically charged folk of the 60s and 70s. I think at one point I may have attempted to download a couple songs by these guys just to find out what the hype was about — or maybe it the Mountain Goats? So many dumb animal-themed band names at the time — but I remember it sounding muffled and unintelligible, like it had been recorded in an underwater cave (maybe that was just the poor quality of the files I found). Anyway, other than White Winter Hymnal, which I knew from the dozens of covers that have been done (I'm actually quite fond of Kina Grannis' a capella version with her sisters), I went into this pretty much blind. It was ... fine. It's not as terrible as I remembered it being. The harmonies are nice enough. The music is okay background music. The lyrics are meh. But, and I say this as someone who's generally a fan of male singers with high ranges, that falsetto guy sure does get grating. And the overall sound gets pretty repetitive after the first few songs. It's a competent album, but I still don't really get the hype. It's pretty typical folk. Sometimes it's like a more stripped down version of the Beach Boys with a bit of psychedelia added in. But I still don't find anything about it to be earth shattering. I see that it's been listed as one of the greatest stoner albums of all time, and ... yeah, that tracks. 3/5

Quite a beautiful album

Un disco sólido, lindas guitarras y algunas percusiones dulces. La voz del cantante no me termina de cerrar. Quizá deba escucharlo otra vez para decidir. Por ahora, un sólido 3.

calminho.. bom pra deixar de fundo enquanto faco alguma cosia. nenhuma me marcoi

Fleet Foxes is an album that i liked, I don't think it's amazing or anything but i like it. This is yet another relaxing album on this list which i do appreciate since sometimes, i do want to hear something to chill out to especially if the day has been rough. Though this album, if you take away the lyrics from these songs, i could probably be tricked into thinking these are songs from Planet Coaster since they seem to have the same sound as the songs from that game. I do feel that the songs here can get a little samey due to most of them feeling like background noise. I still like this album and it's relaxing feel so i can still appreciate it for what it is. Best Song: He Doesn't Know Why Worst Song: Meadowlarks

Beautiful but too one paced for me personally. Your Protector was particularly good but overall I just couldn't get into it.

More like a 3.5 for me.

eu sei que hopelessness blues é superior e talvez se eu ouvisse mais do gênero conseguiria ver que esse disco é no máximo um não fede nem cheira mas pra mim até que tem um cheiro agradável

Simple, airy, gotta like. Apparently I have some kind of soft spot for this kind of folk stuff. More power to singing harmonies and this 4 stars would have been reality. Now only 3.

A great blend of contemporary and old, with its unique use of country, elements of pop and almost medieval sounds, reminiscent of early 2000s video game scores.

I was so hoping to like this more than I do. But for me it’s so 21st century polish, a little too earnest and a little sterile and soulless Some on here have likened this to CSN(Y) and S&G, I just don’t think that they belong in the same sentence ( well later 1988 CSNY maybe) - other than pale hipster attempt at... In itself it’s ok, pleasant enough in passing and I listened a number of times, and maybe I’m just shocked and had higher expectations because of how highly this seems to be held and all the awards it seems to have garnered , for Fuck sake not even just the music, it won a best vinyl cover in 2008 for a painting that was done in the Netherlands in 1559, if I stick a picture of Michelangelo on my ceiling will I win interior decorator of the year?

Nisam slušala nikad, okej mi je album, ali možda malo dosadnjikav. Nakon prošlog albuma, ipak mi je osvježenje. Rekla bih neka sredina maybe. 3/5, 5/10.

Soft

Feels kinda corny and lame but in like a tasteful and cool way. A true paradox! I liked it

Initially wasn’t thinking I’d like this but in listening it wasn’t half bad. Good background music.

Fun, folky rock

The throw-back harmonies are really lovely and the overall sound is so full and resonate.

Ensimmäinen ja kolmas kuuntelukerta semisti tuskaista, toisella kierroksella jaksoi fiilistellä mukana. Sopivasti haastava levy.

Ihan toimiva, mut tietynlaisen, rauhallisen tilanteen ja tunnelman vaativa

Cheerful American folk/Indy music not really for me but well done.

Noget af det lyder meget godt, men jeg tror jeg synes det er lidt for kedeligt, har svært ved at bide sig fast. Har ikke så meget at sige her

Liked it a lot more when I wasyounger then I do now.

indie, folk, rock, 2008 -> 3

A fun an whimsical time

Another nice mystery band and album from this project. At times they seem a little too earnest in some ways, but I like the kind of baroque take on folk music that sounds a bit like a 21st-century version of (European) medieval traditional songs. There's definitely more than a hint of bands like The Lumineers/Mumford & Sons/Of Monsters and Men, but not enough to seem like a Black Keys sort of homage band. I also enjoyed the somewhat odd claymation video for "White winter hymnal", despite that both it and the bizarre Jesus-and-some-of-his-disciples-in-a-manger-with-a-LOT-of-goats video for "He doesn't know why" made it actually harder to understand each song's intent (and quite the Godspell vibe with the latter video). Regardless, an impressive debut album from a bunch of hairy Seattle lads.

3. 5

Nice and pleasant. Well produced, especially for a debut. It sounds intimate but the slight reverb on the vocals helps give it a bit of a larger and more dramatic sound. A nice use of different instrumentation and creative harmonies too There is just something that's not quite grabbing me and compelling me to listen repeatedly though. I would've liked maybe slightly less emphasis on the vocals (which are good, mind you) and more instrumental sections to provide a bit of variety, give some breathing room and break the album up a little bit. Still good though 3.5 Highlights: Your Protector, Quiet Houses

This was a fine album to listen to, but also pretty forgettable

good album not my taste

Unique harmonies? Unconventional song structures? Buckle up for some late-2000's indie! Fleet Foxes aren't unfamiliar to me, in fact they have a distinctive sound when comparing indie acts from this era. "White Winter Hymnal" is one of those songs that just about everyone around my age has heard at least once. The hymn and gospel-like sound is almost entrancing and hooks the listener immediately. The rest of the album flows along and takes on a folk-like persona in most parts. It's soothing, but I can understand those who would be annoyed by the overall "mood" I guess. I tend to prefer more "energetic" indie rock personally, but this had some beauty I could appreciate.

Börjar exakt som jag förväntar mig att ett band som heter Fleet Foxes ska börja. Jag gillar det. Fint och melodiskt. Kommer säkert lyssna igen. Bra julmusik.

Sleepy and inoffensive.

looks like shit. sorry sun it rises- 6 white winter hymnal- 6 ragged wood- warrior cats. 5 tiger mountain peasant song- booooooo 3 or 4 quiet houses- "come to me" 🤨. 4 he doesnt know why- 4 heard them stirring- 4 your protector- 5 meadowlarks- 4 blue ridge mountains- shenandoah river. life is old here, older than the trees. 4 oliver james- booooo 3 it wasnt that bad, just boring.

I’ve always had a little hard time with this band. On one hand they have some really decent moments but they also come off a tad pretentious. The harmonies are good but are a little overbearing every track. It seems roots sounding but a little contrived. This is a band who I enjoy seldom but I feel they still get a solid 3/5 even with my reservation. It’s not my thing totally but kinda understand it’s high praise. Definitely got better on later albums Ps - this also came out in a time when I was in high school and this was a real “Hipster” band. In the end Fleet Foxes real problem might be just bad timing of when I was introduced

This is the kind of Indy I think I like. Pretty solid! Would give 3.5

Something I have often see at boot sales, but had never taken time to listen to it. Great for in the background, would I buy it next time I see it? Don’t think so at this point.

Sort of alright. Nothing bad but very bland and forgettable.

I really wanted to like this. It possibly seems like one of those albums you have to listen to a few times to get.

ok but not very interesting

First time listening to Fleet Foxes. Quite like their brand of harmonic, folky, slightly psychedelic sound. However, didn't hear much that will stay with me or make me want to hear more from them. Okay I guess

Good album. Aged well. Gets better with more listens.

Pretty good sound

Very enjoyable. The echo voice was a bit trying, but the music was pleasant.

Some very comforting songs on here but I'm left thinking its just for comfort, not for expression. Does he really live his raps? For all the albums so far that lack the proper context for me, I can hear every Shins, Animal Collective, Grizzly Bear, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Fleetwood Mac antecedent that went into this Sub Pop product. Might be better as an EP?

Bit weird

Fleet Foxes are one of the bands that I just never got around to listening to for some reason. I have a lot of friends who love them, so I was excited to see this pop up this morning. I didn’t really know what to expect from this one... I remember reading a tweet or something celebrating the mercifully short-lived reign and welcome death of 'stomp-clap-hey' bands from the early 2000s and couldn't agree more. Fleet Foxes are definitely a stop-clap-hey band. This record is anyway. And while it isn't really to my taste, I do like this maybe a little better than some of the other bands that sounded just like this for a few years. Nothing about this really stood out for me except that it was recorded and produced very well. It sounds great. But I mean if that's the best compliment you can give, that's not exactly high praise for an album. I appreciate the musicianship, I just don't really like the music. I'm not sure I would really seek this particular album out to listen to it again, although I might listen to some of their other things. Maybe listen to some of their more recent records to see how (if?) they grew as a band and what kind of sound they have now. I'd be a little disappointed if it was more of the same but I suspect, as is the case with most of these 2000s indie folk bands, it probably is. 2.5/5 and I guess I’ll round up because rounding down doesn’t really seem fair.

folky, smooth, sitting by the fire with some hot chocolate in hand. Nothing really bothers me about this album and it's an interesting debut album but also nothing really gets me excited. I'd listen again for a relaxed vibe, particularly for the Blue Ridge Mountains song

This was a nice, cozy surprise. It might not be the most inspiring or groundbreaking, but it is just good music, very well produced and performed.

liked, but a whole album of them is a bit much

I have some friends that think very highly about Fleet Foxes, so I came in with high hopes. I wasn't disappointed, but the band sounds exactly what indie-rock in the mid-late 2000's sounds like. To me they have a sound somewhere between Arcade Fire and the Decemberists, kind of a folk-rock, eclectic sound that isn't too wild and commercial enough sounding to appeal to a wider audience. This isn't unique in any way, there are similar sounding bands, so it's hard to dislike this, but also difficult to love. The music feels good and it's a soothing listen, so it's interesting enough to perhaps hear more from the discography.

By no means essential. Not bad, but quite boring. Your Protector stands out and save 3 stars

Loved the vibe, the sound was really indie folk goodness. The lyrics were surprisingly dark and melancholic but it was a nice listen!

I loved revisiting this! So much of what indie folk is today comes from this. I don’t think it has been done better by anyone expect for sufjan. This is perfect running in the woods and finding a picnic spot music and the lyrics don’t have rhyme to be good like the smiths. However knowing the albums that start in this list it’s an easy 7 but closer to a 6/10 so

Only liked 1

mccombo regular con papas fritas regulares

I was wondering how long the first song was so I looked and I was on the 4th track so there's that. Not bad tho, pretty relaxing, I got no issues :)

I really want to give this a 4 because I did enjoy it, but no individual song actually stood out to me, it was all just the same folk drivel. Song after song I found myself not being able to tell when one stopped and the other started, but maybe they have some good stuff spread out across their other albums.

Nice sounds, but didn't really do anything for me at an emotional level. Go background music for an autumn day.

I enjoyed the last half of the album more than the first half but can't say I'd listen again to their music. It was good, but not my favorite.

Honestly, while it's very beautiful music with some standout moments, I struggle to find any urge to listen to it.

This was a cool little mellow melodic album. I was humming the entire time and it was over before I knew it. Not really my preferred genre, but I appreciated it for what it is. Three stars.

It is a fine enough album is what I will say. I like that they call out in the write up that they are a "nature band"

Mmm mmhmm thats some good boom stop clap shit. Mmmhmmm right thurr. Fleet foxes on shuffle is perfect flannel and moccosins music. Realitively uninspiring, but quintessential "pick me, I'm different" music. But at its core is still really warm and diverse in nature. This is a fine example of that aforementioned boom stomp clap music. I like it a lot but can't rank it too high. Its generic, nothing to write home about.

lay me down lay me down

Great sound and vocals. I like their harmonization. Overall, not a bad album and I enjoyed most tracks.

Vocals are nice, and the instrument arrangements are interesting and bring in a variety of instruments. I can understand why the album is rated high critically. That said the album didn't really pull me in and I found it a bit sleepy at times. Maybe I need to give it a few more listens to better appreciate it.

If your in the mood for moody atmospheric indie music. This is your jam

# Playlist track - White Winter Hymnal # Notes - Technically good, but super boring. - I do appreciate the harmonies, but this is a dull album and doesn't really do much unless you really crave some sulking around.

whatever....again, through no fault of its own, this record suffers from an inherent datedness in my mind due to the timeline of my own life, but i did find this quite tiresome by the end of it. i was like shut the hell up with that pitch please oooh woooooaaah a cappella choral harmonies!! the songs that stuck out to me this time were the ones i also liked way back when, so revisiting it now didn't really alter my opinion of the album. fav tracks: white winter hymnal; ragged wood; blue ridge mountains

This is another one that just isn’t really my style, and exposure to this album didn’t really pique my interest in the band/genre. It sounds to me like a lot of the other indie folk that I’ve heard (through no effort of my own) throughout the last ~15 years and I’m not necessarily saying this to write off the album; I’m assuming it’s very possible that since this is considered one of the best albums of the 2000s / best debut albums of all time that it’s a trendsetter, and that so many things sound similar to it because of how influential it was. However it’s not something I’d ever reach for other than two songs at the end that particularly stood out to me as more unique sounding than the rest and very beautiful. Fav tracks: Meadowlarks, Blue Ridge Mountains

Listened to 6 tracks. Felt less interested the more that I listened

This was lovely, languid and dreamy. Knew of them, but not sure if I was familiar with it. Will listen to more of them.

High 3s

I can appreciate the harmonising and the layering, but blimey I can't appreciate how tepid it is.

Not much to say. Quite liked it

White people lose it for this stuff.

It was neat to recognize a couple of songs!

More mellow than expected

Classic indie album. Nothing that floored me but pretty good album.

Meh

Nice easy listening album, but nothing stands out 3/5

Ok

Didn't really do much for me, I only listened to it once though. I saw the album floating around in the past but I never gave it a listen. I really like folk music, but this just seemed like some kind of bland folk-pop to me. I can see myself giving it another listen in the future, though. I really feel like there's more to discover with this release.

Nice harmonies

"White Winter Hymnal" is a fantastic track. "He Doesn't Know Why" is also good. Don't remember Fleet Foxes being this folk-y but the album is a good listen.

Forgettable

Enjoyed the mandolin and the indie sound but not the way the vocalist broke up the syllables in the lyrics so distinctly. Winter White Hymnal, I believe, was my favorite

A unique folk/pop mix. Worth a listen, but in spots it feels a little redundant.

Decent. 3.8

This whole list has - 50 albums in - made me realize that I‘m a pretty bad judge of what I will like. This, on paper, should be right up my street. So I thought, hey, I will like this for sure. And turns out .. it’s just ok.

I had not heard this album prior to listening. It wasn't memorable. I didn't mind it, but doubt I would seek it out again.

Folk

Had heard some of the groups songs before. Good mood music.

Not bad. It is worth a second listen

Expected to get into that more

It’s the song from the sad bit of every American tv show. I’m being uncharitable. It’s a very good album. Very listenable. But I couldn’t escape the above thought. Wish I’d listened to this first before Mumford & Sons, I probably would have really enjoyed it as a teenager. I can understand why people love it. But no review is objective. So 3* entirely because of my own hang ups

Nicely produced modern sounding folk(?) music. It was fine. The singers were good. It got a bit boring. Ultimately not really for me, but it's OK.

Some interesting riffs but overall flat

An indie album that really doesn't resonate with me, with the exception of Your Protector.

Sleepy but really good

Decent background music.

Hmmmm its ok, I obviously know some of the songs already but some of them felt very same-y

- I like the overall vibe of the album more than its actual sound. I am fond of 00s/10s indie folk, so it seems like this would be right up my alley. But I am unsure why 1) this particular Fleet Foxes album and 2) Fleet Foxes themselves were chosen to essentially stand for this moment in music history. - The tracks largely blend together. I like the instrumentals more than the vocals, but even they are hard to differentiate.

Not really for me and not a fan of the bands that later blew up in the 2010s who were influenced by this album. Pleasant enough to listen to but a little too precious. Probably my least favorite Sub Pop release.

They are very good at setting a specific atmosphere that I don't like very much. The music is just there. Not bad, but it doesn't stick. Favorite song: he doesn't know why.

American Mumford. The lowest possible 3 star. This era of music was really pretentious.

So that's where that irritating "White Winter Hymnal" comes from. Overall this is okay, but it's also the kind of pseudo-folk that the Oh Hellos do so much better.

Going in a expected to hate this album, and .... I didn't. Was gentle where I expected whining. More Pet Sounds than bedwetter naughties indie. Also sounded like the soundtrack to an indie film.

great for a camp fire hang out

My vague recollection of Fleet Foxes is that they were ascendant in the hipster era of the 2000's and unironically earnest with cloying folk/spirituals revival. I suppose that overlapped with insufferable indulgence of trite anthemic banjo warblers. So going into this record I was primed with my most savage vitriol; upon the first 'stomp, clap, shout' I would come back here and compose an excrement-themed '1 star' review. Now who's the asshole? Not even past the first track I was charmed, rendered docile, briefly a serene humanitarian. Goddammit.

Weirdly, I think of this as a Christmas album. It's really very good but also a bit worthy and twee. On the fence.

Hipster folk. It's fine.

this doesn't tend to a genre that is high up on my list, but this album was so smooth. i saw myself driving through the mountains, listening to this as the winding roads take you on your next weekend adventure. its exactly what it needs to be, and it hits home really well. realistically its a 3.5 for me, but i enjoyed it for sure.

Completely forgettable.

108/1001 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑

Listened on Spotify. It was okay but not really my thing as I'm not a fan of the vocals (harmonies) here. I liked maybe three or four musics and thought the rest was kinda bland. Still, it was nice to get to know a different band.

Just listened to this. Perfectly solid. The main songs stand up but more filler than I was expecting. When you are used to TMG the lyrics are a bit thin. The singing and guitar/mandolin is good although some of the melismatic stuff is a bit cringy.