Last year when she was away from home, my daughter, Grace,
sent me a CD by Fleet Foxes. She said in a note, “this album has become my
favorite heart comforter, my imagination assistant and soothing music friend.”
Because we share a lot of the same musical taste, I was excited. I listened to
it on the way to the grocery store and I ended up sitting in the car listening
to the whole thing. These five young men have created a terrific musical sound
-- Robin Pecknold, Skyler Skjelset, Christian Wargo, Casey Wescott and Josh
Tillman. The liner notes talk about their experiences growing up and walking on
beaches around Puget Sound and about the phenomenon many of us have experienced
of associating certain pieces of music with specific events in our lives.
My first impression of the album, without zeroing in on
any particular song, was the feeling of how each cut built upon the next, with
each song expanding the listening experience. It affected me in a way similar
to the way I feel when I read a Paramahansa Yogananda meditation. I get a sense
of emotional expansiveness.
The first cut on the CD is a short a capella piece, “Red
Squirrel”, that sounds like a spontaneous, Appalachian harmony, recorded
barefoot from an acorn-strewn holler. However, the overall album reminds me
more of the multi-textured atmosphere that Brian Wilson created on some of the
Beach Boys’ best pieces, involving intricate harmonies and the interesting use
of drums and supporting instruments. I read once that Brian Wilson was striving
for a warm and innocent sound when he produced the Pet Sounds album, and some
of that feeling is present in Fleet Foxes’ music.
“White River Hymnal” starts out as a round and flows into
a robust piece that builds and then returns to an a capella round. “Ragged
Wood” is the kind of joyous song you want to listen to blasting from the
speakers as you drive with the car windows open and sunlight streaming down
through the trees.
“Tiger Mountain Peasant Song” is gorgeously poetic with
images of birds and forests and questions about death.
Wanderers this morning came by
Where did they go
Graceful in the morning light
To banner fair
To follow you softly
In the cold mountain air
Through the forest
Down to your grave
Where the birds wait
And the tall grasses wave
They do not
Know you anymore
“He doesn’t know why” could be the brother of “Tiger
Mountain Peasant Song”, another melody with Robin’s compelling voice full of
longing. It might be a song about a prodigal son.
Penniless and tired, with your hair grown long
I was looking at you there and your face looked wrong
Memory is a fickle siren song
I didn't understand
In the gentle light as the morning nears
You don't say a single word of your last two years
Well you will be, you've reached the frontier
I didn't understand, no.”
“Heard Them Stirring” has no words, just vocal harmonies
with guitar and drums that lift and transport with harmonies reminiscent of the
Moody Blues.
Robin Pecknold’s vocal on “Your Protector” has elements of
Chris Cross, Jackson Brown or M. Ward, but then goes apart from them. The
driving tom-toms by Nicholas Peterson are very stirring, as well as a wonderful
arrangement of flute, vocal harmonies and Dylanesque organ. It would work really
well in the soundtrack of a western movie.
“Meadowlarks” starts out with a simple guitar and vocal
tune. It’s a nice enough melody that could have been written by anybody, but
then it flows into an unexpected place, as if through a door at the back of an
open wardrobe.
“Blue Ridge Mountains” begins with another flawless vocal
harmony, sweet and high, supported by the deft guitar playing of Skye Skjelset.
Again, the poetic images are evocative.
In the quivering forest
Where the shivering dog rests
Our good grandfather
Built a wooden nest
And the river got frozen
And the home got snowed in
And the yellow moon glowed bright
Till the morning light
Fleet Foxes are in their twenties and I’m in my fifties.
It seems like we’re from different generations, but from the perspective of,
say, the Egyptian Pharoah, Shishaq, we’re actually almost the same age. We were
all born during the twentieth century so age is relative!
The evidence of an eternally expanding universe, and the
belief that mankind will sort out its problems and fix our imbalances comforts
me as I hear the unstoppable flow of the creative force. We are part of a
universe of vibrations. In fact, Brian Wilson was on to something when he wrote
and arranged “Good Vibrations”. It’s just one level of the human spectrum but
it is symbolic of a greater theme.
Ironically, I received the Fleet Foxes CD in the mail on
September 11, the 8th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade
Center in NY and the Pentagon in Washington, DC. In contrast to the fear or
hopelessness that people sometimes feel when they think about senseless acts of
violence, I feel compelled to say that it’s important to resonate with optimism
about life and not allow thoughts about the current world situation to derail our
hope - kind of like Peter Pan encouraging people to keep clapping to prevent
the fairies from dying. It feels so much better to believe than not to believe.
Fleet Foxes have birthed this very fine album of original
compositions that crackle with energy and pulse with heart and vigorous
hopefulness. I think their music contributes to the realm of optimism and
meaning.
You can find out more about Fleet Foxes at:
www.myspace.com/fleetfoxes
www.fleetfoxes.org
