Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 6-10 of 70
 No mention . . . July 14, 2008
Paul Drager (Colorado Springs, CO United States)
6 out of 9 found this review helpful
of My Morning Jacket in any of these reviews. That's surprising. And yes, I am starting my review from that angle since the singer is tone for tone a very well formed copy of Jim James. I'm not knocking the singing because of it, but the "originality" tag I keep hearing about this band loses its shine because of the similarity. That and the abundant use of reverb, which is a staple of the MMJ sound.
Yes, this is more folk than country and that is where the MMJ comparison ends. The songs bring me back to growing up in the Appalachian foothills, which is refreshing to hear from a band stationed in the Pacific northwest. The songs are fairly masterful in creating a wonderfully haunting tone, but I believe I've heard this before . . . on an album called "At Dawn." It appears I can't get away from the MMJ comparison and while that may be a flaw in me personally, I still enjoy this album in spite of it, though I'm not inclined to sit my friends down to hear it. Well, except for "White Winter Hymnal" which haunts my dreams.
I really feel it is unfair to not mention MMJ when talking about this album. Perhaps in the future Fleet Foxes can further differentiate themselves from MMJ, but on this album, I hear little more than a folk homage to My Morning Jacket. I'm sorry to harp on the subject, but I can't distance myself from it.
 consistently strong album June 10, 2008
D. Cepulis (Texas)
5 out of 7 found this review helpful
Great modern pop offering with a spiritual feel. Personal and unpretentious. Hints of Talking Heads, Kingston Trio, and the latest Euro power pop bands. Not just one or two good singles, but an overall great album that is consistently uplifting and entertaining throughout.
 4.5 Stars... Outstanding debut album August 1, 2008
Paul Allaer (Cincinnati)
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
Fleet Foxes seemingly have come out of nowhere. In April, they released an interesting EP "Sun Giants" and a couple of months later they came out with their debut album that surpasses the EP by miles. If you are not familiar with the band's sound, the best way that I can summon it is early My Morning Jacket + Band of Horses = Fleet Foxes, as much as that is a generalization.
"Fleet Foxes" 11 tracks; 39 min.) starts off "Sun It Rises", and the opening sounds of that track (church-like a-cappella singing) actually are somewhat misleading to what will come. Comparisons to early My Morning Jacket are inevitable on tracks like "Ragged Wood" and "Quiet Houses", and that's a compliment. There are several tracks that feature just main songwriter Robin Pecknold's voice and acoustic guitar, just beautiful, such as on "Tiger Mountain Pleasant Song". The album is sequenced perfectly, and it flies by in no time. Other highlights include "He Doesn't Know Why" (reminiscent of Band of Horses), a lush "Your Protector", and the album closer "Oliver James", again just Pecknold and his guitar, just mesmerizing.
In all, this is clearly one of the best albums of the year for me so far. Haven't had a chance yet to see these guys live, but I sure hope I will soon. Finally, if you wonder where I found out about these guys, I heard them on the internet-only station WOXY ("Bam! The Future of Rock and Roll"), the best source for indie-rock in the country, bar none. Meanwhile, "Fleet Foxes" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
 Another Pitchfork Brainwash! October 3, 2008
LP (Anywhere)
5 out of 17 found this review helpful
People, this is an average album by an average band. Yes, the melodies are pretty, yes, the guitars are pretty, yes, they have beards and they're from Seattle. Are you indie monkeys getting the picture here? You've just been sold another retro, throwback album. Why can't we just see these guys for what they really are? A bunch of dudes just playing some songs, no boundaries are being broken, no experimentation is on hand. The fact that people are viewing this as some kind of colossally new form of music shows me how gullible you all are and how willing you are to take whatever the media feeds you. It really isn't folks, maybe you guys have been hittin' those Lysol cans again, cause the fumes are killin' you! Having said all this, it's not an album to mock or put down, it's just not that special, that's all.
Now I'm sure that this review will get all your pantyhose's in a bunch, railing me because I offended your indie sensibilities. Yes, I know, you really don't care what Pitchfork, Metacritic, Popmatters and all the other high-brow web sites say, I'm sure your opinion was formulated entirely on your own! Yes, you are unique & beautiful snowflakes free to judge this music without the influence of the perennial "loser in real-life that now looks down his nose at you because he works at an indie record store/website". Save your breath, go bother someone who actually cares what you think.
Beautiful June 3, 2008
R. Randall (Seattle)
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
In brief:
Fleet Foxes sound a fair amount like My Morning Jacket and (less) Band of Horses, but make more beautiful/pastoral/folksy music than either MMJ or BoH.
Recommended tracks:
White Winter Hymnal
Quiet Houses
He Doesn't Know Why
Oliver James
(in order of track, not preference)
One of the better releases of '08 so far, strongly recommended.
Also get Fleet Foxes' Sun Giant EP for the sake of Mykonos, probably their most accessible single.
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