by Avery Walts
The second album from folk band Fleet Foxes is laced with 70s-tinged riffs, distinct vocals from Robin Pecknold, and harmonies that will take you away. Helplessness Blues is a smooth, 12 track album that includes songs to soon become a staple of indie/folk lovers.
“Montezuma” opens the album with a steady guitar line and background crescendos that mask the troubled lyrics. “I wonder if I’ll see/Any faces above me/Or just cracks in the ceiling.” Pecknold seems to be questioning his views of mortality, but the ease of the mix of all the elements in the song grab your attention first.
“The Plains/Bitter Dancer” starts with an ominesce acoustic guitar, slowly building with haunting “oohhs” and “ahhs.” Just when the harmony reaches its peak, it stops for a solo session of guitar- the perfect juxtapose. The lyrics are then introduced with a hint of early 70s rock, circa Cat Stevens mixed with Band of Horses.
“Lorelai” sets the upbeat tone for the rest of the album. A short drum solo leads into the safety net of Fleet Foxes: “oohhs” and “ahhs.” Then the chorus, “I was old news to you then. Old news old news to you then,” is presented in such a melodic way the brevity of its greatness seems longer.
“The Shrine/An Argument” is a storyline trilogy of sorts. The first part has a fast paced guitar accompanied by the angsty lyrics “I’m not one to ever pray for mercy/ or to wish on pennies in the fountain or the shrine/but that day you know I left my money/and I thought of you only.” The second part of the series brings a sudden key change, with a flashback of memories: “When you talk you hardly even look in my eyes/ in the morning, in the morning/In the doorway holding every letter that I wrote.” The final segment ends the song with a sense of closure in the lyrics “I will lay down in the sand and let the ocean lead/carry me to Innisfree like pollen on the breeze.” However, a rampant trumpet bellows over the content drums to produce a cacophany of sounds that led me to quickly turn the song off.
“Grown Ocean” is the closing track and my favorite off the album. It is almost always certain if a song opens with a drumstick clash, it is bound to be great. At first I though I was listening to an Andrew Bird song because of the rushed guitar and eclectic sense of style. The chorus, “In that dream I could hardly contain it/All my life I will wait to attain it/There, there, there,” outlines the optimistic view of the whole song, along with a bird-like flute fluttering in the background.
The ease of transition from song-to-song is normally a good thing, but this time I found it to be a bit monotonous. I would have liked to hear a more prominent theme other than acoustic guitar with soft-spoken words. I guess what I am trying to say is I am not a huge folk fan, so the more upbeat songs caught my attention more from my own personal preference. For now, “White Winter Hymnal” from their 2008 debut album still holds my heart, but “Grown Ocean” is a close contender.