Going for baroque

More concertgoing for the week, this time the sold out Fleet Foxes show. The five-piece band plays folk-rock music that sounds like it's straight out of the late '60s/early '70s. (CSNY sounds like a big influence.) I've been known to blanch at some of that stuff--too earnest or hippie for my tastes--but the gorgeous harmonies and pristine instrumentation on Fleet Foxes' Sun Giant EP and self-titled debut really appeal to my ears.

Opener Frank Fairfield came out looking like an O Brother, Where Art Thou? character who'd come to play the Anthology of American Folk Music. Depending on the song, it was just him and a violin, banjo, or guitar. The twangier the instrument, the more it suited the performance. Fairfield sang with a constipated look on his face and a pinched voice. Although he acquitted himself nicely playing the instruments, there was something about it all that seemed like watching an actor playing a part in a museum piece. A little of it went a long way, as far as I was concerned.


As for Fleet Foxes, they excelled in a live setting, which wasn't much of a surprise as their output sounds like it was recorded under similar circumstances (minus the audience). The video above is for "White Winter Hymnal", one of my favorite songs of the year and a goosebump-raising highlight of the concert. (I'm such a sucker for the Pet Sounds vibe this song gives off.) Their harmonizing can suggest a church-like feeling, and the concert was restful in its own way.

Lest I give the impression that the band is merely recreating old sounds, I do think they've made an interesting album and EP that bring unexpected things into the mix. For instance, concert capper "Blue Ridge Mountains" houses a Chinese musical element that isn't the most obvious addition.



On a technical note, the picture I took is not in focus. It isn't purposefully so. The subdued concert atmosphere led me not to take many pictures, and circumstances being what they were, holding the camera steady enough wasn't likely. If I want to claim creative license, then it's blurry like a memory. Also, since I typically don't embed other media on this blog, let me know if you find yourself encountering problems with the video or audio track.