Fleet Foxes Fight Freak Folk

By Jason Hicks

Over the past five years or so, a movement in music has developed known as "freak-folk".  The subscribers to this new subgenre have a commitment to revitalizing folk music by utilizing offbeat instrumentation and sometimes bizarre song structures.  By and large the psychedelic ramblings of these musicians have been successful, works by the likes of Joanna Newsom, Akron/Family and the freak-folk standard bearer Devendra Banhart have been critically acclaimed if not a bit high on the pretentiousness scale from time to time.

But every revolution inevitably creates a backlash and while the self titled debut LP by Seattle's Fleet Foxes is undoubtedly rooted in the folk genre, it's about as unfreaky as can be.  An opening a cappella of "Red squirrel in the morning/ Red squirrel in the evening/I'm coming to take you home" appropriately sets the tone of pastoral simplicity before lush acoustic guitars and banjo flood the track with golden chords.  Soaring harmonies are the main focus of these songs and lead singer Robin Pecknold's pure tenor blends seamlessly into a tapestry of backing vocals throughout much of the record. 

In fact it is difficult not to compare Fleet Foxes to last year's lauded Person Pitch by Animal Collective's  Panda Bear as both albums use the vocal arrangements of Brian Wilson as a major touchstone.  While Wilson's influence remains large, Pecknold and company are able to re-contextualize the familiar harmonies to the point of creating something entirely new, neo-Beach Boys this is not.  The rumbling timpani and reverberating electric piano of "Heard Them Stirring" comes the closest to sounding like a Pet Sounds outtake, it's also the only song without lyrics on the album, yet still relies on vocal swells for its main hook. 

Like Wilson's most powerful work, many of the songs take on an almost prayer-like quality, indeed the second song on the album is entitled "White Winter Hymnal".   The austerity of the songs, many of which heavily reference nature, helps make the "less is more" aesthetic on display all the more effective. 

Similarly to Wilco's last summer release Sky Blue Sky, Fleet Foxes is a collection of songs that are unadorned with any distractions or gimmicks, and to their credit these compositions require no bells and whistles.  Sure most of the singing is drenched in reverb, but it doesn't sound like studio trickery here.  Instead, one gets the impression that it's the natural effect of the vocals being recorded in the middle of an empty room, or better yet a small church in the middle of the woods.  The standout track, "Ragged Wood", evokes a synth-less version of The Shins' "Sleeping Lessons" before the melody takes a left turn halfway through demonstrating that while Fleet Foxes know the power of simplicity, they can also employ dynamics successfully as well.  Pecknold and The Shins' James Mercer both have a similar quality to their vocal phrasings, so it should be no surprise that Shins' producer Phil Eck is on hand and that both bands reside on the Sub Pop label. 

If you've been looking for straight no chaser folk infused beauty, look no further.  With references to forests, mountains and hummingbirds these songs will undoubtedly provide the perfect soundtrack to summertime front porch unwinding in the days ahead.