Much has been made about Helplessness Blues, the sophomore LP from Seattle’s Fleet Foxes. Foremost among its praises is its vocal sound, the warm choral arrangements that set and maintain its tone. From the opening finger-picked notes of “Montezuma,” which provides the album’s most lush but spare moment and prominently showcases singer Robin Pecknold’s rich voice, to the closing “Grown Ocean,” the entire set is layered with the group’s now-signature harmonies. Not surprisingly, Fleet Foxes have drawn comparisons to everyone from CSN to... CSNY.
Throughout, the percussion is soft, the instruments mostly acoustic, and the production organic. As beautiful as the music is, almost laughably so, its purpose seems to be to frame and accentuate the vocals rather than to compete with or steal attention from them. Though a number of fantastic melodies and peculiar-sounding instrumentations are present, those vocals are always front-and-center. And with subject matter ranging from deathbed regret to the joy of child-rearing, the words are both mature and introspective, reflective and forward-thinking.
References to nature abound, to plants and landscapes, orchards and mountains, earth and sky. Coupled with the elemental aspects of the music, the effect is transporting. It’s as if just by closing your eyes, you can be whisked away, to a simpler, more pure place.
If that sounds cheesy to you, you can just cheese it, pal. Because in a year when I got peace and tranquility, not danger, Helplessness Blues was my shit. It’s GIMDANG's Best Album of 2011.
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