Seattle-based folk outfit Fleet Foxes made quite their mark on the quite active indie-folk scene when they released their debut album in 2008. Perhaps what set them apart from every other entry into that year’s folk scene, including Bon Iver’s genius For Emma, Forever Ago, was their ability to sound beautifully natural both in the studio and on the stage. They have even gone on to inspire the equally fantastic and talented First Aid Kit. It brought me great pleasure to wake up this morning to the sight of a new song and a new album being announced by the group. The new album is entitled Helplessness Blues, and while it may not be coming out until May 3rd, they have given us the titular track to tide us over until then.
Judging solely based on the titular track, it seems as if we can forget being worried about a sophomore slump. The track possesses all of the beauty of their past efforts and somehow manages to be even more beautiful—and longer—than all of them. The forzando that you reach about halfway through the track I can only describe as magical, and will leave you even more eager to continue on for the duration of the track. “Helplessness Blues”—the song—is excellent, and if it is any indication of what is to come on the full album, then I suspect that this will be yet another year of glory for Fleet Foxes.
Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues
