Fleet Foxes [Limited Edition]

The Fleet Foxes are a rock band that sounds like no other -- imagine a pastoral choir overwhelming a sweeping folk-rock band, in the middle of a sunlit forest in the spring.

That's about the sound of the Fleet Foxes' self-titled debut album -- it's a stream of lush, jangly folk pop, edged with a touch of baroque and country-rock. While their "Sun Giant" EP serves as an excellent prologue (and is included as a bonus disc in the "Special Edition"), it's nothing compared to the rough-edged grandeur of the full-length album, with its glorious instrumentation and vivid lyricism. It's a stunning little composition.

The only really offputting part of the album is the opening five seconds, when an off-key chorale sings, "Reeeeed squirrel in the morning/Reeeeeeeed squirrel in the evening..."

Then the song suddenly melts into a gentle acoustic guitar shimmering with keyboard. "The sun rises, over my head/Hold me dear, into the night/Sun it will rise soon in the morn..." Robin Pecknold sings with all the solemnity of a choirboy. His voice soars over the steelier riffs and thumping drums, only to settle down with, "The sun rising, dangling there/Golden and fair, in the sky..."

Wow. When an intro is that lovely, just imagine what the songs that follow are going to be like.

In this case, it's the shifting folky "White Winter Hymnal," with its kettle drums and beautiful campfire harmonies ("I was following... I was following... I was following the pack/all swallowed in their coats/with scarves of red tied 'round their throats"), followed by the endearingly energetic rocker "Ragged Wood" ("You should come back home/back on your own now!").

It gets no less endearing after that: Gentle bluesy ballads, jangly folk-pop with lots of squiggly mellotron, sweeping pop chorales, bouncy countryish rockers with lots of intertwined guitars. Things get quieter near the end -- the Fleet Foxes end the album with a trio of lower-key, folkier ballads, sometimes with nothing more than Pecknold's voice and a guitar.

And the Special Edition includes what every Fleet Foxes fan should have -- their debut album "Sun Giant." It opens witha solemn harmony of choir-like vocals accompanied only by a plucked mandolin. "What a life I lead when the sun breaks free/as a giant torn from the clouds/what a life indeed when that ancient seed/is a berry watered and plowed," the Fleet Foxes intone, sounding very innocent and awestruck.

Then the tone shifts with the eerie, sort-of--medieval "Drops in the River," the catchy folkpop "English House" with its woobly synth and countryish riffs (think a folksier Grizzly Bear). The rock sound becomes a bit more organic after that, with the smooth, tight pop melody of "Mykonos," but it's still punctuated with jangly guitars and soaring harmonies. And "Innocent Son" rounds the EP off with a subtle, wistful little folk melody that laments, "some twisted thorn tells me you saw me in the night with another..."

There's something very warm and welcoming about the Fleet Foxes' music -- a blend of jangly rock, folk and electronica -- and there's hardly a song on their self-titled album that doesn't contain that sunniness. And though the bittersweet songs focus on the usual topics -- family, love, lost friends -- there's a strong feeling of pastoral beauty, especially since they're sprinkled with meadowlarks, wood-women, "quivering forests," Tennessee and grassy graves.

In fact, the lyrics are crammed with vivid ("And, Michael, you would fall/and turn the white snow red as strawberries") and striking language ("I hold a cornucopia and a golden crown"). At times, the band's lyrics are pure poetry ("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..."), but tinged with sorrow ("Rust suddenly falling beside me on a ghost of a morning/riding in sorrow to the harbor/far behind me, the bodies of my friends...").

These songs are wrapped in lush melodies of striking music, which happily swirl together folk, classic earthy rock, pop, baroque and a bit of country. And an acoustic guitar is the lead instrument here; sometimes it's all by itself, and sometimes it's intertwined with a smooth mix of other instruments -- hollow drums, rippling mellotron, steely guitar, and a hint of harp being plucked somewhere.

And finally there's Robin Pecknold. He sounds a little off-key in the spare ballads, but in the more complex songs he sounds sweet, strong and truly beautiful, especially when he does that soaring thing. And I have to say, I'm a sucker for the band's sunny chorale sound -- the harmonies really make those melodies sound exquisite, and gives them a more transcendent sound than most folk-rock bands.

The Fleet Foxes' self-titled debut is one of the best albums I've heard all year, with its blend of styles and bittersweetly lovely songs. Haunting and truly lovely.

Fleet Foxes is my favorite new band of the last couple years. Their debut self-titled album is a hook-laden masterpiece of arrangements and harmony. Fleet Foxes manage to blend genres of pop and Americana with indie rock sensibilities, and a unique melodic algorithm that is enchanting. My sister first turned me on to Fleet Foxes, describing them as "The Shins had sex with My Morning Jacket at a Renaissance fair." I would probably throw in some Nick Drake and Beach Boys for good measure, but pretty close. If you haven't listened to this, you should definitely try to get an earful of "White Winter Hymnal" and "Ragged Wood". You will become a believer.

The Fleet Foxes' self-titled debut is one of the best albums I've heard all year. The Special Edition also has FF 1st album on 2nd disc. This one has lovely lyrics, beautiful harmonies and music for everyone's taste! I highly recommend FLEET FOXES.