Wednesday, December 10, 2008

And The Home Got Snowed In

Fleet FoxesI downloaded Fleet Floxes' eponymous debut album a few weeks ago during a stellar Amazon.com MP3 album sale and am already finding it to be a gorgeous fit to the impending winter.

The music evokes a Cold Mountain-esque traipse through snow-blanketed mountainsides and the rewarding heat of hot apple cider trickling down through your insides. Despite their Seattle origin, you could swear these guys are from Appalachia - and they're so damn good at getting me to wax poetic about the emotional appeal of their album.

But rest assured it is not another soundtrack to O Brother Where Art Thou. As traditional and folksy as it immediately feels, you'll soon discover rich tunes that are thoroughly modern and worth many repeat listens.

While this mix could be contrived or indulgent, Fleet Foxes use restraint, structuring their flourishes into three- and four-minute pop songs full of chiming melodies and harmonies that sound like they've been summoned from centuries of traditional songs and are full of vivid, universal imagery: mountains, birds, family, death.
I can't quite tell you song names or sing back a chorus yet, but this one is the best slow burn you need for the dark, cold months ahead.

Download Fleet Foxes:
Amazon.com MP3 (still a dirt cheap $5)
iTunes

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