“Fleet Foxes” Fleet Foxes album review by Liz Crosby

It took me a while to fully appreciate the Fleet Foxes for all that they are worth.  I first encountered them at one of the listening stations at Boo Boo Records in San Luis Obispo.  My eardrums were pleasantly tantalized by them, but they didn’t stand out amongst the other titles I was giving a listen.  Later on, I saw their album cover in Starbucks.  I see music sold in Starbucks as the equivalent of novels that are in Oprah’s Book Club.  Despite whether or not they are good, they’re in Oprah’s Book Club, automatically branded mainstream.  Eventually, I caved and bought them at Boo Boos so as to support a local business, and I’m glad I did.

The slow melodic hymns of the Fleet Foxes sound almost like a lullaby.  It’s the type of music that you envision listening to while driving up the coast of Big Sur.  The vocals are classic.  You could almost take away all of the instruments and just listen to them singing.  They are supposedly going to be a big highlight at Coachella this year.  They emerged in Seattle and began touring with Blitzen Trapper (also to appear in Coachhella)  The five member band is clearly influenced by people such as Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Grateful Dead, Fleetwood Mac, etc.  Nonetheless, they throw their own style upon this familiar sound.

The five band members from Washington all look like the epitome of mountain men.  Each brandishing a rustic looking beard (though not quite Iron and Wine status in length).  They almost seem like they must have been cryogenically frozen from the seventies and just recently were thawed out for our enjoyment now in a time devoid of good music.  Although, none of them exude the sexuality that Jim Morrison had back then, they all are undoubtedly very talented.  Our minds are constantly saturated with concerns about past incidents and future plans.  That lullaby quality that the Fleet Foxes emit lulls us into appreciating the present for a moment.