Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues Review

Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues

Utilizing the richest set of harmonies since Simon & Garfunkel and The Beach Boys perfected the style in the ‘60s, Fleet Foxes was formed in Seattle by lead singer and guitarist Robin Pecknold. After an impressively short period of time for such a new band, Fleet Foxes began to attract the attention of labels like Sub Pop, who they’re with now, but most importantly, they grabbed the attention of producer Phil Ek who has worked with the likes of Modest Mouse and The Shins. In 2008, Fleet Foxes released their debut EP, “Sun Giant,” as well as their self-titled debut album; both under the direction of Phil Ek. Both releases were met with enormous praise and sold well in the US as well as overseas in the UK.

Although Fleet Foxes’ lush harmonies drew many comparisons early on, Pecknold’s songwriting has a unique, enigmatic quality that keeps the music both supremely engaging and undeniably unique. Based in British and American folk music, Fleet Foxes made a surprising jump into the popular music realm led by the short and sweet “White Winter Hymnal” and Pecknold’s lyrical prowess has only improved since then. The band’s inviting harmonization has already created an impressive fan base that has been hungry for new material for quite some time; making “Helplessness Blues” one of the most highly anticipated albums of the year.

As the sole songwriter of Fleet Foxes, Robin Pecknold has always been the clear leader of the band, but “Helplessness Blues” puts his vocals in the forefront much more than anything released in 2008. This may be, in part, a result of his frustration with the creative process after the release of the band’s debut. In 2009, Fleet Foxes was in the studio with nearly an entire album worth of material ready for mixing when the decision was made to start over. Pecknold, unwilling to settle for anything less than perfection, required two additional years before a new collection of songs was deemed suitable...