Reviews (page 6 of 15)
such a good album cover. There’s so much to look at. The harmonies are beautiful, this album is produced and mixed to perfection. Everything sounds so atmospheric. There’s some really great moments in this album, but also some that fall flat. There were certain songs I HATED, but other songs that I added to lots of playlists. I don’t know if I’m the biggest fan of the modern folk sound so I think this is 3.5 stars
Sun It Rises: 4/10, I like the vibe of this song, it reminds me of a renessance fair WHICH WE NEED TO GO TO. White Winter Hymnal: 9/10, I love the guitar in this song and how all of the instruments fuse together, it makes me want to connect to nature more Ragged Wood: 5/10, I don't really like the start part, it's too much noise that doesn't really go well together in my brain, but after 2:50, it really slows down which I like Tiger Mountain Peasant Song: 3/10, it's giving vegan moss skipping in the grass sitting in a tree reading a political book Quiet Houses: 8/10, funky:), this is a really good feel good song that reminds me of childhood in a way made me tear up a bit, I like the little piano solo near the end He Doesn't Know Why: 3/10, sounds like 2 other of the songs in this album, like cmon dude switch it up a bit? this song is giving Joy Division mixed with hatred and love Heard Them Stirring: 8/10, Tarzan? I like the big drum and how they fade into soft singing, it reminds.me of church hymns. it also sounds like Arkells somewhat? Your Protector: 10/10, I think im floating, im speechless. it's going in the liked songs for sure. Meadowlarks: 2/10, it sounds like Clay Pigeons by Michael Cera for a bit, which is why I gave it a 2, but it's a kinda sad song which I don't quite like Blue Ridge Mountains: 4/10, changes from slow to fast too much and I overall just don't like this song Oliver James: 0/10. nope.
This album's cover art is absolutely gorgeous. Even though I'm not the biggest fan of this style of music, I'd be lying if I said that the vocal harmonies and multiple layered guitars aren't anything but undoubtedly stunning. The vocals on "White Winter Hymnal" are absolutely beautiful. Listening to it during Christmastime, it just seemed to fit the mood and weather and everything so well (shoulda covered it in our band lol :P). It gives this feeling of relief which feels like being at home, comfortable and warm, sipping hot chocolate (or EARL GREY!!), despite it being freezing outside. I love the instruments (especially that 6/4 guitar part and the organ) near the end of "Ragged Wood" "Tiger Mount Pleasant Song" and "Quiet Houses" both sound cool and really fun to play and learn on guitar. Big fan of the fingerpicking patterns on these and a few other songs. The only things that dock this album down for me are the receptive nature of it and the fact that some of the songs (later on in the album) just sound like average stomp clap music that would probably be played in a millennial burger joint. However, I really love the closer. I love how it calls back to a lot of the earlier songs in the album. How it ends with just vocals left me in awe when I first heard it. Fav: White Winter Hymnal, Oliver James, Sun It Rises, Ragged Wood. Dislikes: not any in particular, but after a while, a lot of songs just seemed to blend together.
I liked it. like a 60's Mumford and sons.
Pretend folk music. Almost a little churchy. I might actually like the album if there was some depth to it. 2.5 but rounding up to three.
Good to start with, but as it went on it sounded more and more like the beach boys. This is not my cup of tea.
Excellent LP! Start to finish a classic!!
6/10 Favorites: Your Protector Oliver James
This is a very ‘ nice’ album. Nice music, nice vocals, just nice! I think the first half is better than the second as it seems to wane towards the end. Also I do prefer Birdy’s version of White Winter Hymnal. Overall it’s quite good, a nice listen. Haha
Helplessness Blues is infinitely better. But White Winter Hymnal is so damn good that it makes the whole album worth it.
Felt like I was whimsying through a forest
I could see getting into this album a bit more. I have heard one of these songs before. It's not the vibe for me right now.
My understanding is that this is super high-quality modern folk. Technically, I get that: we have good production, decent arrangements, and relatively skilled musicians. It's just so boring, though. Any yes, folk is generally boring, but none of CSNY would recognize this as folk. This band has nothing to say (to a non-WASP, suburbanite audience at least). It's kind of as if a Stepford wife made a folk album. Just really boring. Influence 3. Quality 3. Intangibles 1. Sleepy go night-night 1. I'm giving it 3* because this album is so middle-of-the-road in every way imaginable.
meowy my baby
A nostalgic album for me. I listened to this a lot with my family while growing up. And it very much holds up to the nostalgia. It's just kind of the perfect indie pop album. The vocal work is incredible and might be the highlight for me. "There's noooothiiiiiiing I can saaaayyy-ay-ay-aaayyyy" that would be bad about this album. Favorite Song(s): Ragged Wood, Quiet Houses, Meadowlarks, Oliver James
I should love this more than I do. Interesting melodies, sweet instrumentation and wonderful echo to the production. It also sounds like all of the other "retro folk" groups that came out around this time. Great background music while cleaning the house.
I enjoyed this. Good chill out album
6/10
3.5/5
Does it feel a little "indie-folk-by-numbers" sometimes? Sure, but that's because they were the originator of a lot of that! Even if these songs aren't always the most memorable, they've got harmonies that are almost on par with those of the Beach Boys! Easily one of the prettiest indie albums there is.
i forgot a bout thus!
Not for me
Ah nice. Always a bit novel to see the modern end of the list and never really given these a concerted listen across an album… It feels such an original sound, and especially at its release. But there is also something of it being a little repetitive or variations on a theme. Pretty good songwriting and great atmosphere and depth, but the songs can sound pretty similar and ultimately using the same sound and approach. Was pretty done by the end and got the gist (3.5)
Pleasant listen, but nothing mind blowing. This era of highly produced indie-folk always feels a bit insincere.
Food album, folky. 4/5
etheral forest trippiness
5.7/10
Listening with no background knowledge whatsoever. Let's see how I do. Folky start. 60s Steeleye Span feel. To start with at least. Production seems too clear and even to be 60s though. 60s band loved to overuse Stereo didn't they? Ok so how wrong am I! For a start they are American. And it's 2008! Quite mellow. Nothing I want to 'move about' to or that makes me want to listen to again more deeply. Could be any folk band of the last 50 years. Not bad though.
My goats
i can’t deny that it’s good, but this really isn’t my style of music at all. there’s some songs i like quite a lot, but it just still isn’t a sound i connect with much. it goes for a very “natural” and acoustic sound, and i think i’d like it a lot more if it wasn’t so clean and almost overproduced. final thoughts; it sounds like cishet ethel cain
Extraordinary debut with such well developed sounds and songs.
I haven’t listened to this in a long time. Beautifully written and unique
So nostalgic of 00s indie
I like indie music but this one was a chore to get through. Every song felt the same like it was one long continuous track.
An entry in the brief but massive "stomp clap" genre. From this distance, they tend to blur together. It's fine, but not notable.
Decent. Not amazing. Early on, I thought this album was pretty boring. Some nice harmonies and decent music, but nothing spectacular by any means. Later on, I though this picked up a bit. Heard Them Stirring and Blue Ridge Mountains were my favorites off of this. A good record, worth the listen. Not anything I would come back to regularly though.
nope
The epitome of "Stomp Clap Hey" music- part of the wave of Folk re-re-revival around 2010. The album is good for a debut- they have a nice sound and it'a pleasant to listen to. Overall- 3.5/5
Har sett dom urtrista live några gánger kanske påverkar det omdömet omedvetet. Dom bästa låtarna från denna tid finns ju faktiskt på "Sun giant" ep'n, i synnerhet då “Mykonos" så albumet blir lite av en besvikelse och ganska jämntjockt utan riktiga toppar. "winter hymnal" och "Blue Ridge mountains" gillar jag bäst. Det finns nåt hos FF som stör mig väldiga, kanske är det delvis stämsången men inte enbart. Det finns nåt närmast fromskt och frireligiöst över det. Det låter som Pingstkyrkans fria musiktimme, provocerade oförargligt på ytan men hjärntvättande en bit under densamma. Den känslan har stört mig från allra första början hos FFnoch gör fortfarande. Klarar tvåan
Jag förstod inte hajpen om Fleet foxes när den här skivan kom i skäggrockens år 2008. Det är ett hyfsat band med hyfsade sånger, hyfsad stämsång. Mycket mer är det inte. Och jag har ungefär samma åsikt när jag hör den i dag.
Det var inne med stämsång å skägg vid den här tiden. Gillade det då och märker att det håller förvånansvärt bra fortfarande. White winter hymnal och your protector är i en klass för sig men även övriga spår låter sig lyssnas på utan att det gör ont. Stabila fyra solar.
Jag gillade detta skarpt när det kom. Hade det som trea på årsbästalistan. Normalt är jag inte så förtjust i stämsång, men här funkar det för det mesta. Några starka låtar (White Winter Hymnal och Ragged Wood) men också flera rätt trista spår, särkilt de tre avslutande. Inte lika förtjust idag som 2008.
A solid outing in the indie-folk renaissance of the late 2000's/early 2010's. I prefer Of Monsters and Men and Mumford and Sons, but Fleet Foxes was a pioneer and is still pretty good stuff.
Just all around good.
2 out of 5. Pretty album art, and one or two songs here were nice to listen to.
Is this considered Americana? It’s a good album
Really enjoyed.
Cosy!
Somehow sounds massive and intimate at the same time. One of my favourites
I’ve come to terms with it… The way I rate music is irrational. So much of how I feel about albums is tied to where I was when I first heard it. 2008 was awesome. So is this album.
Paying attention to this reveals a lot of finely crafted melodies. It's also not produced in an overly clean fashion like some of the following folk rock of the nest decade will be.
Väldigt bra sånginsatser. Fina melodier. En fyra
Sometimes the hipsters are right about things. A perfect album for fall going into winter. Favorite track: White Winter Hymnal 3.5/5
really enjoyed
The worst of that wave of mid 2000s folk revival we had to endure. Just feels incredibly phoned in and without any real heart at all. I’m glad Father John Misty jumped this ship when he did.
Little bit boring.. 3/5 max eher 2/5
boring
Listening to this is like listening to a good preacher's sermon. Even though you can tell they have the talent, it's super boring and a little part of you wants to die the whole time.
Found out after listening to half this album that this is the indie/folk band who did "Mykanos" - This (earlier) album sounded a bit "echoey", and less melodic/more "whiney" than I had hoped given how much I like the sound of Mykanos. Yeah I could throw a song or two from this album into a broader playlist (such as "Your Protector") but those echoey backing vocals are something I would struggle with for a repeat listening of the full album.
Have always loved this album. Wonderful for a Sunday morning.
Fleet Foxes is perfectly pleasant, but it's like being in a coffeeshop with good vibes, and you enjoy sitting there with your book and never ever look up who's playing the music. 3.5
3/5
Good, but not as good as the critics thought
I was part of the maddening crowd that bought this album when it first came out based on the song White Winter Hymnal. When I heard the entire album I slipped it back into its cover and never listened to it again. It’s difficult to identify individual songs because I’m never quite sure when one song ends and the next one begins. A calculated soulless affair.
Been ages since I’ve heard them. Time for a revival?!
Occasionally more Pet Sounds than Pet Sounds. And almost more CSNY than CSNY. I should love this album but it somehow doesn't quite make an emotional connneection. So as it stands it's notable mainly for those pub quizzes where you have to name 3 drummers who can sing and write songs...
not bad but certainly not for me. unfortunately a running theme with this website for me so far— i think i just have terrible luck rn
Classic
very folketale-ish fits the album cover art
Bit boring
This isn't really my bag, and a lot of kind of runs together for me, but it's will done, and a really good sound. It's pleasant enough, but I doubt I'll ever seek it out.
This album was wonderful background music to the day. I can’t say any one song stood out. Just solid all around.
This was so good!
Pretty but kinda boring
3.5
The pacific northwest has birthed a few bands that capture exactly what it's like to live there. Mellow, with a sharp and dark undertone.
This definitely reminds me of a pre-21st Century album. Quite folky, a little pop tossed in, and often times, too quiet. Overall, it's fine on a cold, gloomy Sunday morning. Favorite Track: "Quiet Houses".
Nope. Too twee, too banjo for my liking.
A name I may have seen or heard around but had no idea what they’re about and what a pleasant surprise it was to listen to this! Although I don’t normally gravitate to folk based music, the way this music is put together is very interesting. Great arrangements and vocal harmonies! I’ll definitely be checking out their other albums and I’m already thinking about asking around to some of my friends to see if they know of this band or not. I’ve been a little dismayed by some of the albums I’ve had to listen to lately, a lot from around this era, but this one gives me hope that there actually are some great albums I don’t know of and to not give up on this project.
Oftentimes, one thought will crystalize in my mind after a few listens of an album. This is because I can only keep one thought in my mind at a time. With the debut self-titled studio album by Fleet Foxes, that thought was 'Music for Commercials.' Now, I realize that "White Winter Hymnal" has been used in commercials, so this is not an original thought. However, it felt original to me. Do not get me wrong, the album sounds nice. Many things sound nice, like the chime my washing machine makes when it is finished. However, I do not seek out that chime. Since I do not sell products or make commercials professionally, I do not think this album was meant for me.
Very relaxing. Good stuff
I thought this would be better if I’m honest. Liked a couple the rest were forgettable Simpsons: No
Well, this was a little depressing. I recognised the second song, but I don't know where it's from. I also was expecting a different sort of sound because I got this band confused with the singer Foxes
Not interesting enough to bring me to hate it. I read a review saying this was music for suburbanites who wish they were country folk and I can't disagree.
I bought this thinking it was something else and hated it. So it’s going to get a bitter bias rating. Very dull
Nice! Cute. Don't listen to this type of music often but this would go hard at a summer camp or something.
I loved this album in highschool so I have a pretty soft spot for it. I think it felt very exciting in the time it came out, but I also think it has kept itself pretty firmly dated. I enjoy this album most when it uses negative space, I think Oliver James rocks
Vraiment cool ! Vibe chill, pop rock entrainante, des morceaux un peu plus calmes aussi
Je ne sais pas si j’ai aimé ou non…
Ça ne m'a pas marqué, mais visiblement j'ai liké Blue Ridge Mountains donc partons pour un 3/5
listened to again really wonderful
It's ok Moody but not exactly my cup of tea
Das Cover ist dem Mittelalter entsprungen, oder stellt es darf. Die musik ist jedoch anders. Gute Rytmus und Gesang. Würde ich kaufen
A standout from a long list of bands that followed Bon Iver, Grizzly Bear and Tunng with a mix of pop, folk and other genres. Still works today
I love this album front to back. It signified a change in my listening habits in college. It gave me a sense of quiet at a time when I needed it.
This was a big deal when it came out, and I remember many of my co-workers championing it. (We ranked it #12 on our year-end list.) It wasn't my thing then, and that hasn't changed. It's perfectly pleasant and impressively accomplished for a debut (especially one written by someone who was barely in their 20s), but this style of music just doesn't grab me.
Several times while I was listening to this I actually completely forgot I was listening to this, which bumps this up a star.
I appreciate how finely crafted and constructed this is. But it’s like using margarine vs butter. - the ingredients mixed to be healthy but ending up pretty bland.
The Fleet Foxes' album of the same name features very relaxed folk pop, enriched in places by nice vocal arrangements. A good example of this is “White Winter Hymnal,” which makes it sound a bit like a Christmas carol to me. I was already familiar with “Tiger Mountain Peasant Song,” but I didn't know who wrote it. Otherwise, I like the Johnny Cash vibe in “Your Protector.” Fleet Foxes isn't my everyday kind of music, but today it was just right.
A mix of 70s rock, sort of like a country or folky version of Jethro Tull, but not nearly as good--and no flute but guitar. Same sort of vibe, though, would work on a Jethro Tull / 70's folk rock playlist.
Found out I already knew one of their songs. Sounds pretty and good for autumn. Glad I found this one!
love this album! Its so calming and sweet
4/10 It seems that I revert to an overuse of the word ‘nice’ when I land on music that is reasonably pleasant, fairly well executed but ultimately fairly unengaging to me as a listener. And this is another of those ‘nice’ albums. As an experience, it was inoffensive but fairly bland. There was nothing that really hooked me in or grabbed hold of me and it just passed me by in a wash of niceness and reverb. And boy do they massively overuse reverb. Not only that, but the reverb itself is really artificial sounding, because it sounds like a massive space, but with no tail, like no real space could ever offer. Very odd. When this album first washed over me, I enjoyed it more than on a focused listen, when the repetition and lack of inventiveness became more exposed. In a funny way, they kind of sound like an indie band cosplaying as a folk band, rather than being an actual folk band, and the result is a kind of like wallpaper music, but the wallpaper is an expensive designer print that has been appropriated from some traditional origin. It doesn’t surprise me in the slightest that this album came out just a few years after Brian Wilson’s Smile, as this feels like it’s taken a lot of inspiration from some of the work on that album, but without the same songwriting ability, range or edge of insanity that carried that project. There’s just no sense of adventure to this at all. Not that it’s really bad, it’s just not very interesting either, and I don’t feel like they’ve actually got anything to say. The aesthetic is nice enough, if I’m in the mood for something like this, there are many albums of greater substance and quality that I’d jump to ahead of this. Sun It Rises - Talk about setting your stall out early, twee campfire vocal harmonies with lyrics about woodland life that give way to folksy acoustic guitar twiddles. It’s fairly pleasant, but so soaked in reverb that things are getting kind of washed in together, and then it sort of tails away. White Winter Hymnal - This has got some nice harmonies, but there’s not much to it really. It’s not bad, but I think it’s made to sound bigger than it is by the mixing, and there’s not much under the surface apart from a sheen of pleasantness. Ragged Wood - This is better. There’s a bit of pace to it and the instrumentation has a bit more depth to it. There’s some good dynamic range and the nice vocal harmonies persist.There’s quite a jarring change in the middle, which is a bit odd and then it builds up nicely again from there, but never gets back to anything that interesting. Tiger Mountain Peasant Song - This is another ‘nice enough’ song. Too much reverb again, especially for a ‘bloke with a guitar’ track. It loses all levels of intimacy that a track like this should have. Underneath it, the track is fairly pleasant. Quiet Houses - This is very repetitive. I’m not sure what they’re trying to get at with this one at all. Some of the ideas are ok, but they are dragged out to the nth degree. He Doesn't Know Why - I don’t know why either, to be fair. It’s kind of meandering and all gets lost in the cacophony of reverb and instrumentation. The rhythms are very stilted and the melody just wanders around. Then it ends with some unrelated piano playing that I don’t know the purpose of other than to somehow say “look, we really play these instruments”. Heard Them Stirring - More ‘nice’ music that doesn’t really do anything apart from exist. I’ve really nothing more to add, and apparently, neither did they. Your Protector - This one builds quite well to begin with, but then sort of plateaus. It’s got a bit of toe-tapping rhythm to it, but it’s still fairly bland and unengaging. Meadowlarks - This is quite a nice song that loses itself in the swamp of reverb. The verses to meander around a little, but when it thickens up it’s very pretty, although again, so much reverb. Blue Ridge Mountains - There’s a nice bit of melody to this and while it gets thicker in sound, it never lands on a satisfying denouement. And that hammered single note piano line is really bad. Oliver James - This one seems pretty nice again. It’s got a pleasant chorus, but there’s not a great level of development, except for wandering around the core thread of the song again, and then it just drifts away into an overly reveberant acapella vocal.
Really enjoyed this album. Chill like the lumineers. The spotify auto play when it was finished was great too. Death cab, mumford etc
Very non-threatening. I enjoyed it. Like all the background music that this list has provides.
⭐️⭐️ 1001 ALBUMS- # 97 Fleet Hipsters…🧔♂️🎹🪕 The quintessential sound of ‘oughts indie rock. As I was listening to this vehemently overrated album, I found myself tuning out completely about 3 songs in and when I regained conscious awareness I swear I thought I had been listening to Band of Horses (or one of about a hundred similar indie folk groups of the era). 😴 The album rubbed me the wrong way almost immediately; is that a poor man’s Beach Boys harmony I heard to kickstart this soulless journey? Sure the music here is pleasant enough, cohesive and tranquil with soothing melodies, however the charm wears off quickly as the aesthetic of the complete sound falls flat. Lacking unique character, these guys just play it way too safe for my deeper enjoyment. 🎧 Classic Track: White Winter Hymnal 🎧 Deep Cut Gem: Ragged Wood 🚫 Skip Track: Sun It Rises Produced by Phil Ek, the album’s sonic palette is warm, organic, and analog-rich. Instruments — acoustic guitar, mandolin, drums, organ — blend into harmonies that often serve as the album’s emotional core. There’s a sense of physical space in the recordings: you can almost hear the wood of the instruments and the air in the room. Lyrically, the album explores memory, belonging, faith, and the natural world. Pecknold writes in fragments — rather than telling stories directly, he evokes moods and landscapes. The recurring imagery of mountains, rivers, and forests serves as metaphor for human feeling: the way love erodes, faith wanes, and time reshapes us all. 🖼️ Album Artwork: Much more artistic than the music This self-titled debut arrived at a moment when indie music was turning inward — away from the jagged post-punk revival and toward something more organic, pastoral, and reflective. It was instantly hailed as a masterpiece, overblown acclaim with record’s blend of luminous harmonies, spiritual imagery, and rustic textures. Yet beneath the glow of its beauty lies a quieter tension: between sincerity and idealization, between authenticity and artifice. This is where a truly critical reading finds depth — and limitation. The album’s unified sound — is its limitation. The songs blend together as the band rarely risks dissonance or confrontation; everything feels harmonically safe, emotionally controlled….dull in its delivery.
New one for me! Lets go. Sparse yet grand. It was OK but not likely to listen to again.
Not my choice
Didn’t really care for this at all. It’s probably closer to a 1.5 than a 2. I can’t justify giving it a 1 because it was good musicianship, I just didn’t like it. Music seemed like a mix of Mumford and sons type music with far cry 5 weird Christian cult style music. Not for me
There wasn’t really any cohesion that I heard. Music is good but a pedestrian album all together.
This album was everywhere when it came out. Now a decade plus later it feels very twee and cute.
Like Arcade Fire meets the Moody Blues meets a church choir. Nice suprise
Its apathetic music, sounds almost sad and mournful with a hint of pop. 4/10
Lo escuche anoche y ahora no lo recuerdo, pero me gusto. Gustó de volver a escucharlo con tranquilidad. Aurally me resulto interesante.
Just the same stuff I've already listened to
This was weird for me because I like a lot of stuff similar/adjacent to this, but this just didn't really grab me. "White Winter Hymnal" I had heard before and is great though.
Very nice, listened twice, atmospheric and soothing.
Background not much of anything
This album really surprised me, I really enjoyed it
Puede que sea una gran álbum, pero no sé ingles por lo cual para mi es bastante plano en matices armónicas y de voz.
Hippie ass bullshit that I love
Among my current faves. Amazing music. Nice to see it here.
Me gustó mucho
awesome album. unknowingly knew a lot of the songs already. throwback to college for me.
I like what they've done here, lovely harmonies and generally just a nice ambiance they've created 3.7?
I really want to like them... Almost like Bards of the middle ages. I just can't.
Meh
Sure, this type of modern folk music isn't my go-to genre, but this is perfectly listenable. I enjoyed its peace and complexities and had the album on repeat during the day. There were no real highlights - Quiet Houses and Blue Ridge Mountains maybe being the most prominent in my mind - but the songs were consistent and I never felt a need to skip any. I will check out more Fleet Foxes material when in need of a calm day.
This kind of folk music definitely oversaturated the market for awhile and I was initially inclined to give it a 3. However I do think the songs are well thought out, beautifully sung, and the album has a cohesive feel overall without each song sounding the same. So despite the fact that I'm personally still "over" this music, I gave it a 4 as it's not their fault everyone and their mother decided on the same style at the same time.
Perfect album for the rainy October day I listened to it. 100% fall-core music, as the kids might say. But probably do not.
Takes me back to being 26 and having no idea what I truly liked. This is not my style, but I have a soft spot for this album and its harmonies.
Some kind of nursery rhyme songs.
(4/5) ["7.5/10"] Favourite song: White Winter Hymanal. Least favourite: Tiger Mountain Peasant Song.
Good sounding album. Just boring.
Kinda boring
Liked this. High production values. Good harmonies. It works. Digital folk.
Didn’t jump on the “stomp clap hey” bandwagon when it was popular because I thought it sucked. I still think it sucks.
Background music for the world’s most meh coffee house. A track will inevitably be used for some millennial Big Chill type soundtrack and we’ll have to convince our children that our taste really wasn’t that bad.
nice
Pretty good, not my favorite genre but very well done. Didn't realize they wrote White Winter Hymnal
- Beautiful harmonies
Nice background music. Not sure it's going in my regular rotation though ... ok, it's not. But it was a pleasant listen.
I was already familiar with this album before listening. It is indie rock that feels like a breath of fresh air. The vocal harmonies are superb. The instrumentation is fairly simple but it works well. I would listen to this album any time.
There was a lot of hype about this band back in 2008 but I always thought they were a bit overrated. Not that keen on the singing so I still struggle. I do like their acoustic based sound but it's not particularly interesting.
Wobbly voices and acoustic guitairs. Wasn't sure why this was folk music besides the fact he kept talking about fires. I'd say it was a folk asethetic driven indie pop, but that makes me sound like a twat. However did made me wonder what is contemporary folk, should we be singing songs about gimps, farmer shoot outs, bubble T and A level results?
Never really understood the hype for this album. It just doesn't work for me.
Pleasant, booked out folky warbling. It evoked pastoral strolls, campfires and romance. The pitch was high, everyone was proficient musicians, the harmonies were tight. Unfortunately, it's not really my thing though. I got a bit bored listening to it.
I hadn't heard this before and was quite interested to listen... and I got bored, very bored indeed!
This LP had a unique sound to it and I liked the vocal harmony.
Good
Started out pretty good. Retreated into a lot of sameness.
Muzica indie
Interesting stuff in there. 3 but a good 3.
I have such a fondness for Fleet Foxes. They are everything I want a modern Folk band to be: rich vocal harmonies, fitting instrumentation, melancholy lyrics, they're the whole package. I was introduced to them through Helplessness Blues, and I think that's a better album overall but that may just be a bias because I already know that album and hadn't listened to this one front to back. Even still, White Winter Hymnal is an all time great song, and I'm sure this album will grow on me even more over time as I add it to the rotation. And all the people on this site who grade things poorly because they don't like the vocal harmonies are just projecting the fact that nobody wants to sing with them and they're jealous.
3/5 seemed pretty good soft n gentle have to finish
Man, this album was pretty good. Fleet Foxes was always one of those bands that I wanted to get around to, and I'm glad I finally have now. I love a good harmony and electric/acoustic stringed instruments playing off each other is a welcome aspect (although I wish there was more!). I like the nature-themed lyrics, they're a nice change of pace from a lot of other music I've listened to lately. I really felt like I was in a snowy forest or mountainous landscape during my listen. I wish the album kept up the pace and tone it set in the first few songs; I don't know why but I felt really excited about it at first then things just got... samey? really quickly. I think this is an album that needs several listens to really digest each song and find each one's strengths. Standouts were "Sun It Rises" "White Winter Hymnal" All in all, pretty good! It's a slower paced contemplative piece. I put a few songs on a playlist and would listen again. Fleet Foxes gets a solid 4, a little more variety throughout, and maybe change up the echoey vocals every now and then, and this would be an easy 5.
Aged well
Remember when everyone sounded like this. This album made me fondly realise that those times are long behind us. There is a nice atmosphere to this album, it’s a bit long. A bit over-laboured? (Boring) 3.0/5.0 Best Song: Ragged Wood
It’s quite a boring album let’s be honest. White winter hymnal is a pleasant song, but I think that’s the best this album can be, pleasant.
That was fun, though I don't really know if they do anything particularly unique.
Ooh we like this album. Classic Fleet Foxes. White Winter Hymnal is an excellent song, but so are many others on here. Both soothing and atmospheric.
Definitely a polished style and carefully crafted. Probably belongs on a list like this.
This was so nostalgic. It just had that quintessential circa 2010 indie folk feel and I was all about it.
I already knew 'White Winter Hymnal' and loved it, so I am pleased to discover the rest of the album is of similar quality. I don't think there was a single one I actually disliked. It's an odd sound, Fleet Foxes. Not for everyone, but apparently for me.
It was a nice change in genre, not all songs spoke to me but the vibe of the album was nice. 2,5/5
This album threw me back to a version of myself that I forgot. A version of me that was surrounded by different people, loved different things, experienced so much music so presently. It was quite nice, and in some ways painful. But I love it for that. Music that made me feel.
Warm, glowing, and kind of ancient sounding? A beautiful little world, just 39 minutes wide. Excellent debut for a band I somehow missed. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions - Sun It Rises - White Winter Hymnal - Ragged Wood - Blue Ridge Mountains
Great album, great straight through listen. Folk/indie rock with a lot of vocal harmonies. Favorite tracks include Sun It Rises, White Winter Hymnal, Ragged Wood, He Doesn’t Know Why, Your Protector, Meadowlarks, Blue Ridge Mountains.
Dangerously close to country, but it doesn't cross the line. It's... fine.
A few months ago I experienced the strongest feelings of homesickness I've felt since moving to Argentina. And it was triggered by a Fleet Foxes song. I don't feel homesick very often so these guys must have captured something real. This listen didn't give me such a sensation but I've got to give these guys a solid rating for their ability to provoke so much emotion.
the first era of folk i remember being there for. i like this one
I had no idea what to expect the song that everyone knows and I thought this was fantastic. Really original and listenable.
Didn't love it but didn't hate it either. Vocals very reminiscent of My Morning Jacket and some decent jangly guitar
заслуженные 5 очков. несколько песен раньше слышал и сохранил)
I am from Seattle, from which this band hails, and I have never heard of them. To me, this is over-produced indie folk pop and I feel like folk music should be more authentic and raw. What can I say - this just doesn’t speak to me.
Great album. Not super into folk music but the mix of modern instruments and enjoyable melody made it an easy listen (for the most part). My only gripe is that, as seemingly a quality of folk music, songs didn't really have a melody that kept constant, so while I may like the first half of a song, the second half doesn't usually match that.
I like this one. I think it’s missing something to consider it a four for me but still a pretty good time.
Really enjoyable. Lovely melodies and lyrically strong.
Bland to the point of mumfordness
Loved this - great tunes, thx!
Не знаю, не совсем мой жанр. Первая песня звучит как дуновение ветра. Вторая песня слегка бодрее. Тоже очень лёгкая. Может быть, немного веселая? Добродушная. Чем-то напоминает мне Идена Абеза. Третья песня ещё бодрее. Набираем обороты? Тут уже прям воняет кантри, до этого были только отголоски (по моему мнению). Всё ещё не мой жанр. Простые инструменты, вокал очень красивый. В голове картинки уже всяких домовских бохо хиппарей. Пиздец? Пиздец. Вторая часть песни прикольная. Четвёртая песня – медлячная лесная баллада. Не мой кор. Пятая песня вайбит странным поездками в пять утра с вашими родителями. В лес или ещё куда. Странное чувство, никогда мне не нравилось, потому что ассоциируется всегда с тошнотой, холодом и бесконечной противной сонливостью. Отврат, в общем. Песня прям вот такая же. Шестая похожа на пятую. По настроению и чувству. А чом смысол. Ну, она чуть разгорается к середине, но всё равно... Не резонирует со мной. Седьмая звучит интересно. Отлично от всех остальных? Потому что это просто инструментал. Живенький и душевный, мне нравится. Восьмая, бля, трули баллада момент. Не знаю, хорошо или плохо, но я люблю только мрачные баллады Ника Кейва. Весь этот вайб друга леса и жуков – не моё. Девятая звучит вообще не похоже ни на что раннее. Приятный сюрприз. Я люблю такие вокальные штуки. Десятая ОЧЕРЕДНАЯ лесная сирена на гитаре, бля, но тут тоже уже слегка иное настроение. Более мрачное? Печальное? Что-то такое. Инструментал интересный. От всего альбома вайбы Лютика из Ведьмака (я не шарю) Одиннадцатая... Что ж, я чаще всего люблю последние песни. Эта, кажется, не стала исключением. В ней есть что-то спокойное из двух предыдущих (и печальное соответственно), но всё ещё с этим вот вайбиком лесным. Но прям в меру, без такого метафорического давление, которое было раннее. Ощущается сложнее, что ли? Интереснее всех других. А может, я просто мрачняк больше уважаю. Оверолл поставлю 4/10
Заебало на втором треке. Не мое+ все однотипно
good folk
For a good two thirds of this album, Fleet Foxes serve up the very best melodic indie, bolstered by lush echo-drenched harmonies and clever arrangements which occasionally venture off into Smile-era Brian Wilson instrumental vignettes (which is a good thing, just to be clear). From White Winter Hymnal through to He Doesn't Know Why, they barely put a foot wrong, moving between full-on euphoria to acoustic melancholy without breaking a sweat. But - and there is a "but" - while the remaining tracks are far from terrible, there is an annoying hipster vibe permeating proceedings here, which is easy to ignore when Fleet Foxes are at their best, but it becomes more evident the less focused they are on the basics. The lush vocals quickly become pretentious when they are exposed and over-deployed in more sparse arrangements and one too many a capella sections. The band's trad-folk and prog wankery tendencies come to the surface when they turn their attentions beyond the solid pop melodies that are clearly within Pecknold's arsenal. Sadly, it would seem the niche prog-folk path was the one they chose to follow with subsequent long-players, which are nowhere near as immediate, accessible or, frankly, good as this debut. This is still one of my favourite albums of the noughties, and were it to have some tracks from the brilliant EPs which preceded it substituted in, this would be a nailed-on five-star album. Listening more than a decade later, the highlights still sound as fresh and exciting as they did in 2008, there is just that nagging feeling there are areas where they opted for style over substance. As I began typing this, I was pretty much committed to only awarding four stars, but I've been mulling over other albums from the era, and I can't help but think I have to change my mind and let this just scrape a five, if only to put a line in the sand and set the standard for the late-2000s-to-present music. Despite the flaws, I'm going to focus on the positive in this case.
I have listened to this album several times over the years since release. I really appreciate Pecknolds voice, I like what the band is doing and I like it in general but the album kinda just settles into a calm chill folky state and it’s a cozy album. Their follow-up may actually surpass what they did on this one, but both are worthwhile listens. Fleet Foxes won’t blow ya away but they’re great company for when you’re looking for warm tones. It’s a great album. 4 stars
This is a fantastic album, I bought it when it came out - really captures the indie-folk sound of the time. Music for the winter
Très joli, moins mon genre de musique
Ça bang toujours, très doux et mellow
Joli et appaisant mais l'indie folk c'est un style très stacked et y'a beaucoup mieux que ca.
Music with no redeeming features. Didn't grab me.
Favorite Track: White Winter Hymnal
Gostei muito.
The first cool autumn breeze you feel after a long hot summer. Piles of orange and red leaves on the ground and the crunch it makes when you kick or walk on them. Sipping on a chai latte while wearing flannel. Dipping small donuts into apple cider while at a cider mill or an apple orchard. This album feels exactly like everything I said.
oh golly-gosh ... how to go from "Hawkwind - Space Ritual" to "Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes" it's hard to evaluate this when the mood of the album just does not jive right now. I think Helplessness Blues would have been a better choice for 1001 albums; maybe it's in there too ? So whilst it's hard to score this right now, i'll award 2.5 stars ... downgraded to 2 as no half-stars permitted
Everything about the album is fantastic. Modern folk rock with cool soundscape and beautiful harmonies. Even the album cover is refreshing :-) Favorite track: blue ridge mountains other picks: white winter hymnal, ragged wood, tiger mountain peasant song, he doesn’t know why, meadowlands
Good, not my favourite but I can recognize that it is a good album. I love White Winter Hymnal. 7/10
Wannabe Beatles but 40 years too late This is just the most boring, generic album I have heard in a long time. Zzzz. I felt actual relief when this album finally finished.
This album is very fun, all the songs feel like I'm in a dark forest and I hear this over my dog dying or something, which is a particular vibe... Favorite song on the album was for sure Blue Ridge Mountains.
It's not bad music, but I never got on this late 2000s/early 2010s craze of pop folk music. It was short-lived for good reason, in my opinion. I hate on it, but it's not unlistenable. Just makes me think of all the pretentious buttholes in high school.
Couple of goodies sprinkled in. Wasn't into the slow ones.
Delightful and easy to get into.
Nicht meins.
Good album from my youth
These boys sure do love reverb! I might’ve been in a poor headspace when I listened to this album, but I kept finding myself getting bored and distracted. If I had heard this album in high school I would’ve either loved it or pretended to in order to impress some hipster girl.
I have a neutral-positive opinion of Fleet Foxes. I don't know anything about them really but have listened to songs of theirs since I was a teen. The songs I do know, I have always enjoyed, but I've never really sought them out, so this was my first time listen to an album of theirs in its entirety. Got off to a decent start, Sun It Rises felt like an album opener, WWH is a song I've known and enjoyed for years, really enjoy the vocal melody and performance of it, and it's great to sing along to. Lyrics are simple and I enjoy them but I don't really know what's going on. As I keep listening, I'm brought back to my days as a teen where I wanted to be a really cool (lame) folk singer, and wrote really cool (corny) lyrics. I think the album is nice overall. It's not something I'd listen to often, but there are a small handful of tracks I'd save on Spotify at least. 3.49 / 5 to round down to 3, it's not a 4.
I always think Fleet Foxes is going to be enjoyable. It's such an indie name. I made the same mistake when a friend suggested them to me. "Thanks for the tip, John Philipson." (nice guy!) I said. I bought the first EP, and found them incredibly boring, uninspiring and was really disappointed with my recommendation from a cool (and, let's not forget, nice!) person. But, hey! I was twenty four then. I'm older now. This could be the ticket. I didn't feel like much had changed in the sound (or in my opinion of it). There were a few catchy melodies and some cool harmonies. Overall, it felt like quarter of the albums I've had on this list; more of the same. Same, as in the music doesn't vary much from a set vibe dictated in the first song. I came home from work, put it on and did try my best to actively engage in it. And while I didn't find myself not enjoying it, it really could have been anything. Sorry, John Philipson (did I mention he's a really nice guy!), I really did aim to like this more. Also, Fleet Foxes! Great name (this coming from a guy who playing in 'Gold Wolf' - another not-so-monumental member of the 1 word + animal club). 3 Stars.
This album is like going for a hike with your friends on a bush trail. The walk was only meant to take around two hours, but you've been walking for longer than that already, and there is no sign of the end. Did you make a wrong turn? There was that fork in the road a while back but the other path looked so worn down, that couldn't possibly have been the way you were meant to go. You press on. You happen across a small glade, where a group of people are gathered. You wonder if you should approach them to ask for guidance, and a guy wearing mustard corduroys, a worn green linen shirt and a brown, unbuttoned hemp waistcoat gets up and beckons you over. Everyone gives you a warm welcome, but you can't shake the feeling that they are not just saying hi, but instead welcoming you as if you are a new member to their group. They all speak in soft tones, and instead of giving you directions to the carpark, they suggest you should join them for a while. You are a bit tired from walking, and everyone seems nice, so you have a seat. They are discussing times in their lives when they were feeling at their lowest, and how through spirituality they were able to get back on their feet. Not spirituality in a religious sense, in fact they are actually quite vague about the details. Yep, you've walked in on a cult. You press for directions home. They tell you that you could walk down the path over there (turns out you were on the right path after all ffs), or you could stay for a bit longer, cos Quentin over there is just brewing a pot of tea using leaves he grows at home. You politely decline and leave. You don't want to run, but you also don't dawdle.
How high was the critic who claimed this was one of thr greatest debuts of all time. Or was this a critic who has listened to F-all music. Its not to say the album is bad. Its alright, nothing special. But it came our in 2008 and sounds very much like albums that came out decades before. It doesn't break new ground, its just the same old indie folk. A couple catchy tunes but most was not my cup of Tea. Others have done it better.
I really enjoyed this. The voices and the style. Pleasant and relaxing. Listened three times.
I liked the singles and the last track and the whole album on the whole was a very relaxing vibe.
Another one of those indie bands I wondered why I “never got into” until I had to listen to this album… really boring. Not quite as boring as Band of Horses but is up there. Oof.
J'adore les voix qui ressemblent à une chorale contemporaine masculine, ce qui est rare! Des mélodies entraînantes et joyeuses, qu'on a envie de fredonner souvent. Ça amène de la joie dans la maison
Un excellent album!
Still hits
Nostalgia. Honestly was probably more into the girls that were into Fleet Foxes than I was into Fleet Foxes. Still fun to sing along tho
8/10
The history of western pop music is just filled with folk revivals. Ultimately, music is made by people and traditional forms that can recognizably be made by people (not yer beeps and boops and fancy drum loops) come back into vogue. Plenty of tunes survived the Baroque period or Lisztomania, so folk music popping back up contemporaneously with the British Invasion or Deadmau5 is really not something that should surprise us. But it always does! At this time in history, see also Mumford & Sons's first album or the first couple from The Lumineers. Or a ton of others -- all of whom, like Fleet Foxes, are still making good music, it's just fallen out of vogue. This is kind of like the recurring popularity of workwear-derived fashion (or, arguably, the modern phenomenon of athleisure) -- the sort of music that people are making anyway becomes fashionable once every ten or twenty years, lately. And then we go back to 'what other weird sounds could be music?' This is a really popular example of the form. Folky friends held this in the highest regard among its Aughts Folk Revival peers and I'm glad to have had an opportunity to spend time with it. The harmonies are delicately beautiful, the compositions are largely pretty straightforward -- neither terribly traditional (every song is an original Robin Pecknold composition) nor pop (no weird song forms and all instruments that have been involved in western music for at least a couple hundred years, depending on whether the electric-ness of the guitars bothers you). It's a good one, though it doesn't stick with me. I'll come back to see if it starts to, but I like my folk a little sadder, angrier, more foot-stomping or all of the above. However, that's still a 4/5 from me.
Not bad, not real great. Just kind of dull songs that seem to be on repeat. No real hooks. Middle of my road, so 3.
"Fleet Foxes" is the debut studio album by American band Fleet Foxes. Indie folk, chamber pop, folk rock, folk pop and indie are the Wiki-listed genres. The band was formed by guitarist-vocalist Robin Pecknold and guitarist Skyler Skjelset in Seattle. For the album the band reworked existing songs emphasizing harmonies and unconventional song structures. Other bandmembers included Nicholas Peterson (drums, vocals), Casey Wescott (keyboards, vocals) and Craig Curran (drums, vocals). The album had wide-spread critical acclaim and did very well commercially reaching #36 in the US and #3 in the UK. The album begins with a capella intro in "Sun It Rises." Layered acoustic guitars. Pecknold on lead vocals with layered harmonies. Dreamy folk. Marching band drums and a jam band-ish electric guitar. A lot going on. I think he's talking to the sun asking why does it rise. The first single was "White Winter Hymnal." Pecknold on lead vocals as the harmonies join in crisscrossing him. More acoustic guitar, a bass drum beat and tambourine. It's a song Pecknold said was about friends abandoning him with he was younger. Beautiful song. Vocal harmonies begin "He Doesn't Know Why." 60's-ish guitar and harmonies as Pecknold unfolds a story about his brother returning home after a few years in an unrecognizable state and there appears to be nothing he can do to change it. They get the baroque pop going in "Your Protector" with an added flute. A song that has sort of a jaunty guitar and beat. Its builds in an epic fashion. The narrator is a resistance fighter who doesn't know if he'll return to his loved one. This is highlighted by tremendous lead vocals and harmonies. Lots of layered acoustic guitars but there's also a lot of details in the other instruments and music in general. Pecknold's voice reminds me of My Morning Jacket's Jim James as does the music at times. There are epic and jam band vibes which take this music past conventional folk. There's naturalistic imagery - rivers, snow, sun, winter. I heard the unconventional song structures with melodies coming in the middle of songs seemingly from nowhere. This is an exceptional album and one I should listen to more and so should you.
Very pretty album. Kinda folky. Lovely singing. Favorites: Your Protector, Blue Ridge Mountains
This was a little spot of joy. White Winter Hymnal is part of our Christmas tradition, far better option than the usual Christmas music fare. It's a bit twee but I don't mind that. Good album for a long drive to a secluded camping spot - this is the sound of nature and simple pleasures.
Somehow I have never listened to this album in full before. I love every song, I love the vibes, I love the instrumentation, I love the lush feeling of it. Delicious. Thank you Fleet Foxes.
Snoozefest
I love a good folk vibe. This is the perfect album for fall when you start to feel a chill in the air. It's very good, very beautiful, just sort of boring to me. I think I love Fleet Foxes for relaxing background noise. I'd love to listen to them at a cafe while I read a book. That would be perfect. But that's not a 5 album for me. A 5 album has me HOOKED. So it's a 4.
Every time I hear Fleet Fixed, I imagine then trying to come up with a concept for the band and someone going, "How about ethereal male harmonies?" and everyone else going, "Yes! That's what the people have been waiting for!" I do actually like their sound, but I've never locked in with them or their quivering forests. Hard to say why -- maybe it's a little feeling that the whole thing is a schtick. Like, they're not exactly exploring the style so much as showing off that they can do it?
I like this band, and I enjoyed the album. I’m not sure why it is on this list, though. I’m also a huge sucker for songs with themes similar to Montezuma, and I think it is beloved within the fanbase. It was fine. Spotify started playing Death Cab after the album, which was nice (for me).
You'll be shocked (shocked!) that this didn't really click with me. The production is pretty though.
Great vocal driven music. Lovely harmonies.
Good work music but i am not sure i would listen to it outside of that
I was never a fan of the indie/folk sound in the mid to late 2000s, but I enjoyed this album more than I thought I was going to. It didn't make me a fan of the band or sound by any means. But I have a better understanding of it. Or maybe that's the nostalgia this sound invokes talking.
Out of all the bands operating in this genre of melancholy folk, Fleet Foxes were ahead of the rest. A beautiful, pretty, polished album. Not one I want to listen to every day, but it’s solid.
That default 2000s indie rock sound: fingerpicked guitars, a pretentiously soulful vocal delivery, girls swoon, boys get sad.
Kinda boring. He Doesn't Know Why has the same chord progression as Tell Me Baby by RHCP?
Not my style at all. Definitely a blend of genres and I feel like it does all of them poorly.
I found this album to be a bit boring overall. I was excited to see something from the aughts and was intrigued by the opening of the album, but as it went on I kinda lost the ability to distinguish any one song from any other. It wasn’t a bad album by any means, just easily turned to background for me. Meadowlarks is the standout track for me.
The first album that I remember listening to shortly after it came out. White Winter Hymnal and Blue Ridge Mountains have been favorited by me for a while and they hold up so well. The vocals, lyrics, and whole vibe of this album are right up my alley. It can certainly feel a little "samey" at times, but hey, I can't say I don't like it.
Favorite tracks: White Winter Hymnal, Your Protector, Blue Ridge Mountains This album is ethereal. Every song was interesting and as a whole it was beautiful.
I’m happy that this is so loved by people. Great to listen all the way through.
I’ve been feeling a little down recently due to the change of the seasons. I have this feeling of dread and mourning once summer turns into autumn with college starting back up, baseball ending, and going down shore not being possible anymore. But I think this album kind of makes me feel happy to move forward in these seasons. It makes me look forward to football, Halloween, Thanksgiving, pumpkin pie, and all the things that made me really love fall when I was a kid. It has a very peaceful cottage core feel that I really liked, it's almost reminiscent of early Alex G or even Mac DeMarco (listened to him during my entire first semester in college after high school). This is the kind of indie music that I really like. Favorite Songs: Sun It Rises, White Winter Hymnal, Tiger Mountain Peasant Song, He Doesn't Know Why, Heard Them Stirring, Your Protector, Meadowlarks Rating: 5/5
I first encountered Fleet Foxes after seeing their performance on "Later with Jools Holland", a BBC TV show in the UK, and was immediately impressed by their musicianship and vocal arrangements. The band's self-titled debut album delivers a full, layered sound that blends folk, pop, and gospel influences. The production is consistently strong, creating a timeless, pastoral feel. The vocal harmonies are impeccable and are a core part of the album's identity, often evoking the sounds of Crosby, Stills & Nash and The Beach Boys. The band also uses dynamics to great effect, allowing songs to build from quiet, intimate moments to sweeping crescendos. While every song is well-crafted, several tracks stand out, including "Sun It Rises," "White Winter Hymnal," "Ragged Wood," "He Doesn't Know Why," "Your Protector," and "Blue Ridge Mountains." Overall, the album is a consistently good and beautiful listen. While it may not resonate with me as strongly as it did with critics at the time, it is undeniably a very good album that successfully achieves its ambitious, grand sound. Four stars. 1- "Sun It Rises" - (5/5) 2- "White Winter Hymnal" - (5/5) 3- "Ragged Wood" - (5/5) 4- "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song" - (3/5) 5- "Quiet Houses" - (3/5) 6- "He Doesn't Know Why" - (5/5) 7- "Heard Them Stirring" - (3/5) 8- "Your Protector" - (5/5) 9- "Meadowlarks" - (4/5) 10- "Blue Ridge Mountains" - (5/5) 11- "Oliver James" - (5/5) Total - 48 Average - 4.36 100/1001
I don’t know anything about the musicians, but every time I hear this, it sounds a little churchy. Maybe not church but what I imagine hippies sounded like during the Christian revival phase. This is pretty music but something about it makes me feel wary.
from the very first song, I'm hooked amazing sound quality and... HARMONIES?? people still do those? I have boomer taste in music (I love the beatles and beach boys) this just sounds really pretty and fully holds my attention with its sound I need more very good
Some excellent tracks and a cohesive album overall. Nothing exactly mind blowing but still highly enjoyable 8/10 12/09/25
Pretty good
It's a nice album with great melodies and vocals. However it only really has one standout song - the magnificent White Winter Hymnal. 6/10
I am familiar with Fleet Foxes, think they were hyped up on some end of year, decade etc metacritic list and grabbed my attention so I have definitely listened to this before. Nice and easy listen. A folky Beach Boys sound. Finding it easy enough to link a lot of the production and stylistic decisions on this album to Pet Sounds. It's just not as impressive in 2008. This music is too inoffensive across the whole album so never really impacted me. Certainly an impressive debut and the album cover is very cool but it's just too "nice" for me. 3.5/5. Raising to a 4.
Merry christmas
Meh. Pretty background music but otherwise uninteresting and unmoving.
This is how you do 2000s hipster music. Actually nailing the music instead of being cringy fashion chasers. A good listen. Harmonies were gorgeous
If the Beach Boys moved to the forest and made a folk record dipped in the deepest reverbs, it might sound exactly like this.
I was going to give this a 4 at first. Then I kept listening and it was definite 3. But my god by the end it has to be a 2. I don’t know why this style of indie folk feels so phony, grating and saccharine to me but damn. By the end I couldn’t wait for it to be done. I geese it’s because all the songs sound the same? Anyway, not at all BAD by any means but as one of the top comments said, feels like plastic.
Renaissance Faire music for the modern audience, and a lot better than the 60s albums of the same type I have gotten so far on this list. It sounds like a mix of CSNY, Simon and Garfunkel, and The Beatles. I liked it a lot more than I expected to, but it's not quite up to a 5.
Pretty great original folk sounds from the oughts.
Da pra ver o que esse album inspirou. Se eu tivesse ouvido em 2008, talvez seria 5/5.
It’s not going to sweep the boards at the dance awards, but it is quite a beautiful listen
Boring.
This one goes out to all my hipsters in the mountains. Gentle and delightful. A real chill listen.
Good vibes for slow painting
Inject this shit into my veins.
Pretty Good!
I'm perplexed at what this even means.
Great album, but not my favorite from them
Love this band.. all the harmonies. haunting.
Boring AF
Solid 2000’s indie rock. Mumford n Sons lite
ma che figata! bello, molto bello, mi sentivo in una dimensione fatata fatta di campi sconfinati, praterie, cavalli, gnomi e fatine. una sorta di prateria del West americano ma che ospita anche una colonia di creature fatate. conoscevo già White Winter Hymnal perchè i Pentatonix ne avevano fatto una cover strepitosa, ma veramente anche le altre super piacevoli. ottimo, ottimo sottofondo
Generic Millenial whiney rock. Fits somewhere between Bon Iver and Mumford and Sons. You know this is currently popular but will be forgotten in ten years. 2.5/5
Bem mais interessante do que eu achei que seria, no começo fiquei até com preguiça mas continuei ouvindo e foi me agradando é o folk padrão do começo dos anos 2010 mas ainda é interessante, e a capa é incrivel
Good! 3 or 4/5
Very good emotive songs, he has a familiar sounding voice, I think a lot of people making pop music now have tried to imitate him, mostly failing to make it this good. Some of these are a bit more rockier than I was expecting, but there are obviously the more folk/acoustic ones are where I think they shine the best. The backing vocals are great, but I do think sometimes they are oversoaked in reverb, but maybe they recorded in a huge room or something. The mood generally evokes a very specific midwinter mood - I think something about the vocal melodies reminds me or interpolates Christmas Hymns, which make it feel quite nostalgic even though I've never heard these songs (I've gotta relisten in the Winter) It does feel a bit 'safe', which is a bit of an unfair criticism, beacause they clearly found a style and stuck with it. Favourite songs: pretty much all. Overall around 7/10
Great album/genre
Pretentious, indie folk rock that I wanted to hate but enjoyed a tiny bit.
If the Beach Boys did bluegrass, it would sound like this. It’s been a while since I listened to this album. There is something that I really like about Fleet Foxes, although I can’t say that it’s my kind of vibe. It’s clean and crisp, the harmonies are rich and warm, but it can become a bit relentless and wearing about it. Nice to hear it again.
One of my favorite albums in general and especially this genre
Stomp! clap! hey! Not gunna lie, this genre has always been a guilty pleasure. Its fun, its an easy listen. Hipster music at its best!
This album sucks. I have heard time after time how people love it, and I think it’s straight garbage.
Pleasant
Love the cover, very wimmelbilder White winter hymnal is a banger
I like the album. It was calm. It was clean. The musicians are great and would be good for work or long drives. The only thing about the music that I noticed was nothing stood out as incredible or remarkable but everything was consistently good. 10 years ago I would’ve been all over it Right now. In my later 40s it’s fine just doesn’t resonate like it used to.
what a debut! timeless, instant classic. Pour a glass of wine. Have a spliff. Don't do anything else but fold into the tunes.
Wasn't expecting much but honestly, this turned out great. It leans heavy into the vocals which may turn off some but I though it was quite nice. It's peaceful, solemn, and spiritual. Though there is something that I can't quite put my finger on that makes me want to be more critical of this album, eh either way this was a great listen. Very replayable! Top 5: Sun It Rises, White Winter Hymn, He Doesn't Know Why, Ragged Wood, and Blue Ridge Mountains no bad songs 3.75-4.25/5
This album was pretty good. It was sort of like psychedelic blue grass? Kind of like a 70s family band with the vocals but probably do medium drugs. Really enjoyed white winter hymnal and blue ridge mountains. Lots of really great vocal harmonies and a key change in almost every song.
An interesting album. I’m not sure if it’s a 2 1/2 or 3. Might try to listen to it again.
White Winter Hymnal
Cute listen, but it loses steam towards the end.
This one was okay though. Enjoyed it a bit
Harmony and vocals are worthy of revisit. The sound is so pure and yet complex. The vocals are "shut off your phone" and pay attention to how beautiful everything is balanced and tonally rich. I didn't think I'd enjoy this album but it was lovely.
The late 2000s-early 2010s folk sound gets so tiring to me so fast. This album just solidified that fact in my head. Maybe these guys were the first to get to that sounds? Otherwise, there really isn't anything super notable about this album. I think the peak of this era was Mumford & Son's Babel. Sigh No More was released a year after Fleet Foxes. Maybe they shared some common influences. idk.
Nostalgia! I remember loving white winter hymnal, and I don't remember blue ridge mountains but I like it. All the rest kind of blends together for me.
Oh I liked the vibe a lot it's so up my alley. Blue ridge mountain fucks
Nice in places. He Doesn't Know Why particularly nice
Big up for the Bruegel the Elder cover. I channelled this to try to imagine the album as a concept album for a day in the life of a 16th Century Dutch peasant, in the spirit of the recent Call of The Valley. It fitted much of it pastoralism but this still didn't do much for me - file under typical late 00s twee US Indie stuff.
Meh, I guess it’s good at what it does. I just don’t particularly like what it does. I enjoyed the more Brian Wilson sounding parts, less so the overly whimsical and folksy bits. Two would be harsh. Four a distant stretch.
Not bad
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes Brooding indie rock from Seattle, Washington that sounds exactly how you think it sounds. A bit of a challenge getting through the last few songs but overall, a fairly inoffensive album of little importance.
I would've loved this 10 years ago. Probably would've given 2.5, I need to figure out how to give scoressss sorry
I’m a Millennial hipster, this albums tickled all the right nostalgia strings. I didn’t realize I was a Fleet Foxes fan, but I knew every song on this album. “White Winter Hymnal” is on all my best Christmas playlists.
its very pretty and good :) i shouldve been listening to this in middle school instead of alt-J but oh well too late now
Folky sound Songs sounded a bit samey
It's fine