Reviews (page 11 of 14)
I'm not sure why I'm listening to this, but it's fine. Sounds like 60s folk music.
This was fine. Sort of put me to sleep, but I understand why it's on this list. Probably won't listen to it much in the future, but I didn't hate it.
Kind of Christmassy? Medieval folk harmonies? Wrote that before looking at the track names - they suggest that is there vibe they were going for. Bit twee. Not one of my favourite debut albums of all time!
Nice I guess: not really sure what to say about this as it's an enjoyable album and will always be that way but I just felt it got a little samey. The lyrics sounded familiar with the immediate connection in my mind to Sam Fender (no actual connection but sound similar to me). Can totally see how people enjoy this but I could've skipped.
Has moments, but kind of repetitive. A high 3, but not quite a 4.
I really quite enjoyed this one. Kind of folky, good instrumentation, writing, and the vocals were fairly unique. All in all, I don’t think I would buy this one but I would listen to it again.
This was pleasant stuff, bright, sharp, nice vocals, I liked the pastoral lyrics and the feeling of being taken somewhere into a clean forest. It was nice for 30 minutes or so, but I doubt I would ever listen to this again. Definitely a 3-star rating for me, glad to have given this a go, but it's not really for me I think.
Very average 3/5
I liked this more in 2008 than I do now. It's got some good songs on it, but it's all a wee bit self awarely cottagecore.
It. Was kinda mid
Really interesting on first listen. Felt like it was going to be a grower, an album that would take a while to sink in but when it did, wow. Something like Arcade Fire, Alt J, etc. A further 5-6 listens and I'm fully bored. Didn't grow on me at all, in fact the opposite. 2.5*
The most hipster album I've ever heard. That said, it's decent and inoffensive but it's also overrated and a bid dry. Good background music and fine musicianship carries it to a passing grade but it doesn't elevate to greatness. Great album cover though.
I feel like I’m going on a cross country road trip while listening to this album Or journeying through magic forests I like the guitar parts
This is another one that hasn’t aged that well imo. It has its moments. There’s a lot of care in the production but after 15 years it sounds stale and passé. But honestly even amongst their contemporaries, this is mid. They’re not as bad as The Lumineers, but they sure ain’t as good as Arcade Fire
This album is good. It’s a bold choice to start an album with a 6/8 breakdown in the middle of it, and it somehow doesn’t sound like we’re at the Renaissance fair. This is a strong 3.5/light 4 star album for me. Far better than just a middle of the road, but I’m not sure I can give it a 4. Gotta think about it more.
Thai felt kinda bland. Definitely not my style.
Pleasant, but only a couple of songs that really had something to them. Needs a bit more jeuje.
This genre generally doesn't do much for me, but this album addresses some of the things that typically turn me off to it. First, the production value is spot on. Indie albums usually feel fake to me because they're overproduced and make the sound too far away from the authentic instruments. Fleet Foxes does not do that at all--everything sounds like real music, and the pairing of vocals to instruments works very well. Second, there is nice variation to the feel from track to track. Often times in Indie music, I feel like I'm listening to the same whining or breathy chorus sung by 4 guys each track. Fleet Foxes do very well to avoid that. All that being said...Indie simply has a hard ceiling with me. This style of music is best served as a changeup on an album rather than being an album itself for me. I like to be gripped by heavy instrumentals in general. There are moments where this happens, but not enough for me to call this one of my favorites. Favorite track: Ragged Wood
The harmonies on this are awesome, it’s beautiful music performed well. Is it going to change my life? No. Am I going to be running to my cd’s to get it on? No. Very enjoyable for what it is though no doubt about that.
Niets super speciaal wel mooi en rustig
It was pretty good. I just don’t think folk music is something a like a lot.
On first listen: Quite good, not totally my thing but I'll listen through again and add the best ones to my playlist.
Fun little album. Would not seek out to listen to in the future, but glad I was exposed to it. I can see how their fans would pile like this album.
Hipster bullshit or legit folk record? I think it’s a bit of both. I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy this. Maybe it’s the nostalgia. They’re just so good at creating an atmospheric sound while staying true to their folk roots. Good songwriting as well.
Not really familiar with this Fleey Foxes but the album sounded clean yet felt rich with story. Personally not my taste, but I can appreciate the album for what it is worth.
White Winter Hymnal is the best song, suprising after the first one which I didn't like at all. Funny thing is I didn't even know that Fleet Foxes exist. But in the end it's not my cup of tea. Only Your Protector caught my attention and great closing Oliwer James, rest of the album is bland to me. 3/5.
Peaceful and captivating. I often find this style boring to listen to but it held my attention. Highlight was White Winter Hymnal - will return to this.
Solid 3/5
nice
"White Winter Hymnal" sounds lovely on a Christmas playlist. The rest of this is alright. Feels much longer than it is, I was shocked that it clocks in under 40 minutes.
It's a pretty gorgeous sounding folk album with a lot of lush, atmospheric instrumentation. Harmonies for a lot of the vocals sound very pretty too. It's a bit heavy on only said vocals and the choir element they have however, although I did very much enjoy Ragged Wood and Blue Ridge Mountains.
Quite liked this to begun with but there's some real stinkers as you go on. Album art is great though
Euphoric, etheral, folkyy => nice and relaxing Feels almost familial and reflects unity in my oppinion 3/5
Top 3 Songs: 1 - Ragged Wood (3) 2 - White Winter Hymnal (2) 3 - Blue Ridge Mountains (10)
Definitely different from anything I've heard before. Both the sound and the lyrics are inspired by the Renaissance times, but the sound ends up very light and innocuous, while the texts are sometimes quite dark. The album cover fits perfectly - these kinds of paintings look cute on the surface, like an illustration in a children's book, but if you look at the individual figures, there is some crazy stuff going on.
This is a bit lovely isn't it. It's more of a soundtrack to a slow moving Americana film than a set of bangers-after-bangers. But a lovely way to spend 40 mins.
Good but very samey
Pleasant music. Good. Not great. Wouldn’t turn it off. Not sure I’d search it out either.
A nice listen. Better than I’d thought it’d be. I gave it a wide berth when it dropped because it felt just a bit too beardy. I liked it but I didn’t love it. Some gorgeous songs.
It's pleasant, I'm just really over this twee indie period of the mid oughts.
pretty sounding chamber folk, the songs don't sound the same. Enjoyable listen, just not really my style. I find folk to be quite boring. Still solid 3 stars, I'm pleasantly suprised.
Highlights: "White Winter Hymnal," "Ragged Wood," "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song," "He Doesn't Know Why," "Meadowlarks," "Blue Ridge Mountains" In 2008 in Collegeville, Minnesota you could not escape this album. People were obsessed. The big vocal harmony was kind of a revival of CSNY and Beach Boys sounds for Fleet Foxes and Grizzly Bear, respectively, given more posturing dreaminess. These guys seemed to win out, probably because they resonated more with the aesthetics of the Big Box Praise & Worship Mill. I guess I don't know if CSNY's harmonies got as 'close' as some of the ones here, drawing from classical or medieval ideas. At the same time, it's funny how high the self-regard is here; the liner notes are dilettantish, like "we would like to thank Claude Debussy, Igor Stravinsky..." I see some criticisms like 'instrumental stuff too spare' and there's some truth to that. The vocal work is plenty interesting but there is a lot of hokier pentatonics bridging the fun ideas and extremely lame guitar lines. It was funny to see someone say "this is bourgeois farmer cosplay" sandwiched between two comments saying "ah this takes me back to Santa Monica" and "ah this takes me back to Ottowa" so apparently not far off, but I think the choice of Bruegel for the cover is sufficient rebuff of that reductive potshot. I like this one. Really familiar with it and the fact that I have a hard time narrowing to four highlights probably means I should cave and call it excellent. Doesn't need to pay for the sins of trends it inspired: the blithe, reverb-drenched, baroquey-folky acoustic pop that would fill a decade of commercial slots alongside the mimics of White Stripes and Coldplay.
Original stuff. I have to think a bit about mumford and sons when listening to this (probably same genre). Some songs are sleep inducing, while others are quite exiting. Bit of a bad mix of both in my opinion
ну вторая песня классика, остальное просто было приятно 3+ алкоальбом: настойка на вишне из деревни
Track 2 van dit album ken ik, rest van het album nog nooit geluisterd. Af en toe vind ik dit wel lekker. Klinkt als een soundtrack voor een indie coming of age roadtrip film. Een mix van country, folk en kerkzang, ongetwijfeld gemaakt door enorme hipsters. Alleen heb je het na een bepaald moment wel een beetje gezien.
Like
pleasent to listen to. the vocal melodies are really nice
I've heard this record a few times since 8t came out. I keep thinking I should like it, and Fleet Foxes. But I just can't get into it. It's very well made. And the songs are really well thought out. There is way too much reverb for me but that's just a choice. I assume they were going to dreamy. But all I hear is a tile bathroom on every vocal. I'm scoring this higher out of respect for it. It's solid. Just not for me.
It's actually a 3.5 but I feel like it's just not varied and engaging enough to warrant a 4. I did enjoy my time with it, however I wonder how often it will be revisited with time.
Enjoyed
Pues es que escuché el siguiente disco que para mí es enorme y al revisar este me supo a poco. Aunque "White winter hymnal" es mágica para mí no levanta el disco que es agradable pero poco más. Aunque le voy a dar 3 estrellas.
Lekker middeleeuws, houd normaal niet van folk maar vond dit eigenlijk best wel Nice! Favoriete nr.: Ragged Wood
Vond dit echt verrassend fijne muziek! Had er nog nooit van gehoord maar het voelde als een zomeravond en een rondje wandelen in een park. Denk dat ik dit nog wel vaker ga luisteren maar het is voor mij net geen 4
Echt het prototype indie album. Was al bekend met het album, en staan wel paar goeie momenten op. Het hoogtepunt is echter de cover, namelijk het bekende Nederlandse spreekwoordenschilderij
i guess this was probably the blueprint for indie folk but i felt very medium about it
I bought this Album, as a lot of people probably did, off the back of the success of the White Winter Hymnal. Back then the rest of the album did not deliver what I was hoping, but the passage of time has made it more palatable.
Pop tranquilo, relajado y sosegado. Un cierto toque folk. Grupo que desconocía. Le falta algo de chispa, pero se escucha bien.
I just want to put on a flannel shirt and sit on the front porch of a cabin in the wooded foothills of some frosty morning. This album is just so effortlessly beautiful, like the mountains.
3.5
I'm 95% sure I listened to this album before seeing Fleet Foxes perform at Austin City Limits Music Festival in 2011. I don't remember a lot about my first listen to this album, or their set at ACL (I went through a good amount of weed that weekend). This time around, I think that this was a beautiful and pleasant album to listen to. The vocals take center stage here, and I think that's to be expected for a folk album. There wasn't anything spectacular going on with the instrumentation, but it still complimented the vocals quite nicely. However, listening to this album again, I'd say that one word remains true: unmemorable. As nice as this album was, I didn't think there was a lot here to remark about. I can't recall any particular song sticking out to me as being my favorite one, and nothing lyrically stood out to me either. Honestly, I'll probably forget about this experience entirely in about ten days. It's a nice album, but I guess it's just not my jam.
Whine whine
Pretty good indie/folk album. Be good to put on around a campfire.
3/5 Interesting sound. First time hearing this one. It's good, quality music, not sure if it going to excite me again next time I hear it though.
Judging this album by it's cover is probably a good thing. Being the Netherlandish Proverbs by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, it's definitely an interesting choice, but is actually fitting for the album itself. Being an indie-folk, chamber rock sounding album, fits right in with this middle ages scene. Best: Your Protector Worst: He Doesn't Know Why
3.5 Stars. Hipster folk and indie pop elements - highly talented musicians. A few really nice, semi-upbeat songs - but most of the slower stuff did not resonate with me.
Not as bad as I thought it was going to be
Boring
Harmonic oohs and aahs 5 - Masterpiece 4 - Love it 3 - Like it 2 - Whatever 1 - Turn it off
Reminds me of high school when I tried to be indie/folky. Still like it though
This album was quite relaxing. Not really my style but a good listen nonetheless. Definitely adding a song or two to Levitation! Favorites: Blue Ridge Mountains and He Dosent Know Why
A few good tracks, with nice use of old prog rock ideas in a folk setting. Otherwise, approaches coldplay a little too close for an American group.
Only got a chance to listen once, but this time I appreciated the music more than previous attempts.
Quite bland, foresty folk
Tiger Mountain peasant song starts out like Led Zeppelin. Meadowlarks was a little bit like Simon and Garfunkel looking for America The song before meadowlarks was a bit Fleetwood Mac esque Blue Ridge Mountains was a bit Crosby stills, Nash and Young ish
As the first two songs played I was enamored by this band (that I had heard of but never listened to). Yes, I was put off by the cavern reverb effect (similar vibe to My Morning Jacket), it seems like an overt attempt to alienate the listener. But the material and performances overcame that as the first few tunes played. I was thinking this was a four, maybe a five, and then, song by song, that feeling dissipated. Even though many of the arrangements and harmonies are beautiful, 66% of the way through, I was checking to see how many more songs were left. I listened to the album twice, and it was a repeat of that slide into monotony. What seemed fresh and inspired evaporated before my ears. Might have a made a good EP.
Not something I’d go out my way to listen to by any means but it did evoke feeling like I was in nature, which I felt like they were going for. Would be great to listen to while camping or something. But also gives me Tory white girl summer vibes. No song stood out except the one that was all over the radio at some point (white winter hymnal?), some lovely ambient moments but overall the lack of dynamics and instruments just blended into one sound. I found myself looking forward to it ending. 3/5
Pretty neutral, not bad but not rushing to listen to again
This was chill, enjoyable background music, but I wouldn't rave about it
Some great bits but not as strong as I’d remembered.
This seems like something I would have liked better with the echoy sound and folksy ambiance. Thanks like it, don’t get me wrong. Like a 3.25. Something is missing. The instrumentals are fairly simple and don’t excite me much. They aren’t bad, but no “oohs” or “wows” here. Other than, I liked Blue Ridge Mountains a lot.
Hipster hippies
Ok. Didn’t blow me away
It was ok. Some good songs, but the chill vibe kinda lost me after a while. I should probably listen again with more attention, right now I can't rate it more than this.
Indie songs with good vibes (despite some depressive lyrics), but nothing else. Not bad, but too much bland for my taste.
Not really a twang fan
Nice, very relaxing music. Seems like background music.
Was more impressed by this album at the time of its release, but in the end Fleet Foxes turned out to be more of a typical Pitchfork band (the lyrics, the way of singing etc). Not that this record is bad, but the songs themselves are just not very strong, and when in the mood for music like this, I would just go for a CSN record or so.
I never know what to make of Fleet Foxes.
Not as bad as expected. Makes you feel like biking on a spring day.
It’s indie hipster shit and it’s quite good indie hipster shit probably 3/5.
Like a more boring Mumford and Sons, with hints of (a poor facsimile of) Roddy Woomble's solo stuff. Decent, but unexciting, part of the wave of landfill folk that followed landfill indie for a few years. White Winter Hymnal is the best track, but that's a bit like being the tallest dwarf.
Knew from the outset I would like it. Amazing vibes the first half of the album definitely a different sound to the second half I feel like the end half was more guttural? More piercing I guess? Where I was hopping to the first half. Fave tracks - meadowlarks -winter white hymnal - tiger mountain peasant song -your protector
2.75. It’s fine, a little too laid back folky. Interesting that it was way more successful in the UK than US. Probably why it’s here
Blue ridge mountains is the highlight for me, never been huge on robin Pecknolds voice
Pretty enjoyable, definitely remember liking these guys in the early 2010s.
Pretty good album to relax to.
Good. There isn’t much else to say.
I remember this album getting crazy amounts of hype back in the day. I thought it was solid and well-produced, short and sweet. But not really my style. Pleasant but somewhat uninteresting.
It's good, the motifs and transitions are seamless, good instrumentals, but it gets a little samey and feels like a lot of other folk music projects
Bit dull
Didn't hate it but its a one and done for me.
Some late 2000s indie music not necessarily my style atm. Was enjoyable though
Reminded me of Stawbs when I first heard them. I think after a while I would be tired of the same voice but the music was different and enjoyable.
Fleet Foxes are one of the bands of the indie-folk years of 2010s that still hold up, I think Helplessness Blues is better but overall this debut is solid, I just don’t wanna listen to it as an album typically.
Good overall, but would take a few listens to be more familiar with
A bit too folky for my tastes but impressed nonetheless. Blue ridge mountains and white winter hymnal are songs I’d definitely go back to.
A phenomenal debut, no doubt. I always thought I should like this album more. And I gave it my best shot today. That songwriter Robin Pecknold and producer Phil Ek were able to craft such a catchy record, that is simultaneously so dense in musical arrangements and lyrical poetry, and that feels timeless—in the sense that it does not feel of our era in 2008 but not definitively of any other era that came before us—and placeless—in that it definitely does not feel of its Seattle roots—is remarkable. It's a great album to visit in the winter too. I think those words—timeless and placeless—begin to get at my problem with this record. It all feels a bit like dress up. A little too myth-makey and certainly it feels a great deal too much like a cipher. As folk music goes, Fleet Foxes lacks the personal surrender on the part of Pecknold that would ordinarily invite me in. Instead what I find inviting is a great deal of style and poetry. Beauty that lacks specificity beyond generalized thematic textures. On \"Blue Ridge Mountains\" he sings of \"connecting flights,\" but it's one of the album's only references that relate to the actual world we and Pecknold live in. It feels like one of the album's only immediately personal moments, of which I crave far more. I'm being too hard. And I'm not saying that these songs aren't imbued with meaning for Pecknold or other fans—they assuredly are—but that I just feel lost somewhere outside of it. Out in the snow looking in at someone else's fire. Even with a deep listen, my full concentration, and lyrics in front of me, I don't learn any more about Pecknold or his Fleet Foxes project. I'm only able to glean insights through the clothes they wear. That is, the wonderful style they dress these folk songs up in. The story world they build from the inside out. The cryptic moments of bittersweet poetry: \"And Michael, you would fall and turn the white snow red as strawberries in summertime.\" The wonderful harmonies, and so on. Those are the things that invite me in, rather than Pecknold himself. On the other hand, \"Oliver James\" is a song that feels deeply personal to Pecknold, like you can hear his spirit and his voice clearly. But reading the lyrics, I just get confused. It doesn't seem to go deeper than the impression of beauty. Which is still pretty nice. It still is beauty. And I like listening to these songs. It's just... I guess my sentiments can be summed up in discussing the album art. It's wonderful. Immediately impressionistic on a casual glance. But up close full of so much beauty; strange stories, darkness and violence, demons, comedy, absurdities, myth, and so on. It's stunning. But trying to make any sense of this textured madness, and the sand sifts through my fingers. Perhaps that's a magically fleeting experience to have with an album. Perhaps I have the wrong mindset and I should just let this album wash over me like a bath and not think so hard about it. Sadly, that's not what I’m looking for. The water is warm but cools quickly, and I'm left feeling a bit hopeless.
Eh
Melancholy folky
This album killed indie music.
I was never a fan of this genre, or any of its siblings. The pure indie choir boy, hey-ho sound can only stay interesting for so long. Personally, I like my music to have a touch more grit - which this album had none of. It is well-produced and it's good music for fans of the style so I certainly see the appeal, it's just too clean and pristine to be my thing. Back when this music was big I was still all aboard the emo bandwagon, so we never really clicked. I did enjoy Tiger Mountain Peasant Song & Your Protector though, mainly because they were a bit darker than the rest of the record.
I've never read so many praises by music critics about a seemingly ordinary indie/folk album. It's the first time I've heard of band Fleet Foxes, and after digging deeper into their discography and reviews, I feel a massive dissonance between what's has been written and what I think about this album. The self-titled album is a very soft and gentle folk pop, which sounds like a lullaby version of Mumford and Sons, if only all band members knew how to sing. The songs are very atmospheric and give you a vibe of a perfect listening session in late autumn, with a hot cocoa, under the blanket, with a cliche rain/snow outside. The album at times feels more manufactured than natural, like prepared by some perfect music AI, which programmed all the voices in spotlessly clean harmony, with no unnecessary sound or a note, from start to finish. The song, like for example their single "White Winter Hymnal" are really nice to listen to, but somehow it feels, just simply, like a product. And hey, it was good, but I'm not buying it.
Not massively inspiring. Kind of nice but also a bit meh
Pas mindblown mais pas détesté. Du bon indie folk. Définitivement à revisiter
decent, mellow and 1 tempo
Easy listening.
pretty classic album
Too pretty … I like it, but reminds me too much of My Morning Jacket and I’m over them.
Haven't listened to this album for ages, and it's a mix between some really quite good songs (generally the ones with a bit more emphasis on the music - Ragged Wood, Your Protector probably my favourite 2), and some vocal arrangements that are perfectly pleasant, but a bit twee. Listening to it back in 2008, it felt very different from anything else that I was listening to then, the sound isn't quite as unusual now but it's still a decent listen. 3/5.
Folky Indy like this tends to leave me cold. Not all the time, but this one did in any case. I think the make/break quality for me is I prefer duets and/or solo woman singer over solo man singer
I was fine with this. Wouldn't turn it off if it hit my shuffle, wouldn't actively seek it out. If I could give a half star I would at 2.5. It is exactly the middle for me.
Not my favorite indie rock band but its a good album. Songs kind of all run together & sound similar
White Winter and Oliver James are classics. Good folky stuff.
3.4
decent. 3/5
I've tried these dudes before, and even attended a concert of theirs with a friend, but they're just too (almost sickeningly so) earnest and, well, twee. I get it. Y'all can harmonise with each other. Maybe write a good song or two as well, yeah?
Good folk, however nothing hooked me
Ik hoor een Hammond orgel voor de liefhebber. Muziek klinkt een beetje '70s maar het album is van 2008. Grappig. Zitten wel een paar leuke liedjes bij. ***
Ljúf þjóðlagatónlist, flottar raddanir.
I think I would really like this if I was more into folk music, but currently it is more 'kinda nice' for me.
It’s nicely done with some memorable melodies and lovely harmonies. But my god it’s earnest, with no edge or bite
It’s its time and not something I’ll rush back to, but didn’t mind listening to it again at all. A few enjoyable tracks have been added to my Best of 1001 Albums playlist and that’s more than the Eagles achieved
Ok...generally it's a meh. But, White Winter Hymnal is a song of it's time, and I respect Fleet Foxes influence on that folk scene that became big around that time. I'm not going be choosing it to play, but my ears wont be offended to hear it playing round a sibling in law's house. Which is likely. Your Protector - enjoyed the drums.
It's not a crush for me.
La copertina mi piace un sacco. Album rilassante, simpatico. Tuttavia, non c'è quel quid che lo potrebbe definire un capolavoro, a cui riservo le 4 e le 5 stelle.
Un album piacevole. Niente di più, niente di meno.
This album sitting at an average of 3.5 is appropriate for what it is. Well crafted and produced songs that do nothing exciting. It's like ordering the poached pear for dessert and wishing you'd had the tiramisu like your friend did.
Nice background music. Nothing revolutionary for me but I enjoyed it
Sound is nice, but didn't make much impact on me
Beardy, flannel wearing lumberjacks with a Beach Boys obsession roll up and chop up some tunes. Best Tracks: White Winter Hymnal; Ragged Wood; Blue Ridge Mountains
Nice. Low.
Very good relaxing album.
Album was a nice listen. Very relaxing music and interesting instrumentals. Not the type of music I would go back to too often, but I'm glad I listened to it. Favorite track: Ragged Wood
It's pretty chill, I can vibe to it. But I prefer Lord Huron for my modern folk, tortured indie artist tunes. I love this album cover! I could look at it for hours, it's very amusing and captivating.
it was ok not really my thing 3/5
piola yanki
Red house painters in a happy mood belike this. :)
It’s nice and mellow listen, even it hipster CSNY/CSN knock-offs aren’t your jam.
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.
Cool plaatje!
Mjah, wel goed ofzo maar al de zoete harmonieën gingen me op den duur toch wel tegenstaan.
Goed aan te horen, maar door die voortdurende samenzang krijgt het ook wel een hoog geitenwollensokken-seventies-gehalte.
Average tbh.
was okay
Blei lei av fleet foxes for mange år siden, men huske at eg syns da va greit på eit tidspunkt
Huske kje heilt, men trur da va sånn passe
Pretty bland
What happened to the indie-folk revival thing? Did it die yet? This one has some striking moments, with some strong lyrics, some lovely vocal moments, and the occasional memorable melody. But overall, I find it forgettable and samey. I think my issue is that filtering any genre through indie-rock is never going to improve it. 3*
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.
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.
I'm not generally into the new folk stuff, but I like these guys. This was enjoyable.
this got me hyped to swim in the ocean with my dog in a very walter mitty way
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.
A little familiar already. Highlights: Quiet Houses, Meadowlarks, Blue Ridge Mountains.
Perfectly bland. Can't remember a tune, wasn't bad tho.
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.
Slow
Pretty meh. Not a fan, but didn't run away screaming either.
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
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
More or less what I expected, its pretty, whit winter hymal is still the best
I do like Fleet Foxes but I don't love them. A nice recognisable sound but I always get a little bored.
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.
Eh. It’s ok.
-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
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.
Skdbc
Okay for what it is
I didn’t get attached to any particular song but found it to all be good
Fine album
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.
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.
Modern country?
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.
For when you want to know what it feels like to fall in and out of love with a manic pixie dream girl.
Fínasta haustplata. Brún lauf fjúka til og frá.
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.
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.
Good album for relaxed listening
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.
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.
Iidt ensformigt og meget rumklang. Lidt for stile
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
harmony!
7/10
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
Nicht reingekommen. Aber bestimmt auch nicht schlecht.
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.
“Geddy Lee of Rush includes this album among his favourites.”
I can appreciate it but doesn't have a high replay value for me
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.
Some bangers in here for sure, but it gets a little too pop-folk with some of the oohs and ahhs and kick-tambourine.
Nice background music, though very one note throughout
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"
Good stuff
Dreary, medieval-tinged, late-aughts, hipster acoustic vibe
Just an okay album. Enjoyed it well enough in background of a car ride - but doubt I’ll go back to it anytime soon.
okay
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
Pretty chill. Something I could put in the background in the early mornings or cloudy days.
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
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 😕
3 stars. Too much mellow folk style for me. I will return to fleet foxes, but not to this album
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.
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.
Not exactly my cup of tea
Lo escuché y ya no me acuerdo.... Pero ya lo retome y trae momentos muy interesantes
3 1/2
Never would have remembered this was from 2008. Perfectly enjoyable.
Folk
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...
Something I can appreciate. It's good music but not for me
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).
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 really my thing, but a very creative and nice album to listen to
3/5
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.
Indie Folk at it's finest. White Winter Hymnal is banger but overall album lacks any edge.
Instruments were really good. Vocals seemed to be secondary. Was a good Monday morning drive time listen....
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.
Behageligt og afslappende. Ragged Woods er faktisk ret dejlig
nijakie
I didn't listen to the full album, the first few songs are very catching. But I lost interested about 4 songs in.
It was objectively good, but I’m not a huge fan of this type of folk.
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.
3/5 okayish album
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.
3.9
Nice harmonies, but songs are all pretty similar, I think.
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.
I have this album on CD. It's OK for an occasional listen when I'm in a mellow mood.
Enjoyed this. An old sound in a modern package.
Pleasant enough
Pleasant to listen to, but quite forgettable.
meh, but got better later on
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.
Ich mag diesen Hipster-Knabenchor ja gern, finde das auf Albumlänge inzwischen aber etwas zu eintönig. Trotzdem: wirklich schöne Musik!
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
Bought this album, loved playing it driving back from work on summer nights
7/10
Not bad
Takes me back to a very specific post-college yearning. Sad, but pretty.
nostalgia
Pretty nice. 7/10
Pleasant harmonies and easy to listen to. Unfortunately not much stands out and makes it memorable. I like it as a pretty unique sound.
Typical early 2000s indie. Sounds like a mixture of Bon Iver and of monsters of men
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.
Some tracks left an impression, but overall delivers a tone that felt like it repeated itself too much.
Under the radar alt pop...not bad.
Pretty chill
Beetje basic folk albumpje, maar goed luisterbaar
I enjoy the vibe of this. Very folk. Almost jester-like. Get a little monotonous after awhile, but, pretty solid.
Some great songs on here. White Winter Hymnal is my favourite. 3.5
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.
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.
Decent album. Would maybe listen to again under the right conditions. It was a little slow.
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.
i want to like this more.. it's fine.
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
Requires more listening I guess, mediocre at the first go
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"
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.
Found it to be very average
Probably I need some time to rate this album. But right now it's only 2 stars. One of those in advance.
Millennial tedium.
I put the Fleet Foxes into a bin marked '2000s indie landfill' a long time ago so they're up against that with me. I will conceded that listenining to it whilst working on a complex coding problem was probably the wrong context, as it definitely has the air of 'headphones music'. I knew _White Winter Hymnal_, it's a song I've heard before and has never done anything for me, and whilst the album sounds well produced, it largely passed me by and on top of that, I find his voice a bit annoying. I feel 2 stars might be harsh but I don't want to give it 3
It was okay. Nothing special nor memorable. A bit quiet at times
I’m definitely biased because I already knew don’t like this particular subgenre of folk music. Maybe this group was the first or at least an early contributor to this wave, which makes the album more interesting from that perspective. On the other hand this sounds extremely similar to a ton of 2010s folk music so it’s difficult for me to be objective. 2/5.
Boah ne.
A : 2 ,White Winter Hymnal; If i lived in the woods its a 5 JL : 2 , Heard Them Stirring
Fleet Foxes just wasn’t for me. I can appreciate the beautiful harmonies and understand why so many people love this album, but it never really grabbed my attention. It’s well made, just far too folk-oriented and laid-back for my taste. I kept waiting for it to build momentum, but it never quite got there.
Very pastoral sounding album. Too ok to be bad but too boring to be good. Not my cup of tea.
I think if I were in the right mood I may dig this a bit more but today it just felt a little sleepy.
I mean, it’s chill. Too chill even.
I remember buying this when it came out, and being really into it. Don't think I ever saw them, but I was into other similar bands or artists at the time (The Tallest Man On Earth, Bon Iver, probably towards Mumford and Sons). It doesn't really age well - feels very silly, very twee, faux-peace and love stuff. Doesn't have the edge of My Morning Jacket (introduced to me by American Dad, Yim Yames, he makes Enya sound like a Russian couple arguing at a bowling alley). Nothing is as good as White Winter Hymnal, despite their best efforts. Perhaps I needed more hallucinogens to find the music deep enough to enjoy, now I can see right through its transparency.
Sounded beautiful; put me to sleep.
This is folk music, but despite my usual preferences, I didn't really like this. The album did feel like it could have come out in a previous decade, and it had a nomad-like feel. However, there wasn't much variation in the songs and I didn't feel like it went anywhere. "Meadowlarks" was more my speed in terms of a song I liked, though.
This was an unremarkable album.
Camp counselor camp fire music
not bad. needs more listens 2.5/5
There’s plenty to admire in the music department but I cannot get past the endless, annoying, droning vocals
'Stomp Clap Hey' stuff like this and Mumford & Sons irritates me. It's really close to styles of music I love, but it just feels smug, like privileged middle-class people cosplaying as proper folk artists. None of the songs on this grabbed me in any way or seemed to have any interesting energy.
These cats have all the makings of a really awesome group. The only thing they lack is good songs. Sorry but way overrated
I was never a fan. I found it whimsical and too polished and not in a good way
Extremely meh
I skimmed a few I HAD TO
They can't be blamed for the fact that they were one of the harbingers of 'Stomp Clap Hey'. I was definitely in their intended demographic in 2008 and I remember White Winter Hymnal. Now almost 20 years later I'm trying to separate all of the baggage of that era while appraising this. People that weren't around or paying attention during that time have to remember that all at the same time there was this, Grizzly Bear, My Morning Jacket, etc. I don't know how much of it has to be considered 'essential listening'. I don't know if any of it qualifies to be honest. The reverb, it's simply too much. Especially when the acoustic guitar is mixed fairly dry and then you have vocals coming in like the guy is standing on one end of an empty VFW hall with the mic on the other. What are we doing? There's like one part of 'He Doesn't Know Why' where the vocals break a little bit that I kind of like because it's like the one lyric that feels genuinely expressed. Also the drums from this era of floor toms and tambourines and probably using those little soft mallet things on the cymbals. Sometimes taste comes from moderation.
2.5
Pleasant enough, but won't be making it onto my regulars.
Folsky woodsy banal drivel about peasants and mountains as performed by some Seattle city-slickers. No feeling no meaning just the sound of bored suits buying different instruments and effects libraries.