There’s little fast moving about Fleet Foxes’ self-titled debut album. The Seattle band creates an ethereal stripe of roots music that doesn’t lend itself to easy categorization. The high, echoed harmonies that ringleader Robin Pecknold creates with his fuzzy bandmates is reminiscent of My Morning Jacket. But where MMJ runs straight ahead on guitar-driven fuel, Fleet Foxes tends to deconstruct popular song. The band never relies on a verse/chorus/verse format, instead piecing together riveting portions of compatible music into suites that unfold a few minutes at a time. If it all sounds airy, Fleet Foxes’ songs are driven by agitated contrasts — be it a buzzy guitar on “Sun It Rises” or a booming drum on “White Winter Hymnal.”
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