Shore - Fleet Foxes: Review
are a Seattle indie folk band fronted primarily by singer and songwriter Robin Pecknold. They became indie darlings of the Pitchfork folk era in 2008 with a critically acclaimed debut EP followed by an even more acclaimed debut album. Since then they have released the poetic Helplessness Blues in 2011 and the winding experimental Crack-Up in 2017 both of which received nearly unanimous critical acclaim. Shore was announced just a few days before it's release which coincided with the autumnal equinox.
Review By Lavender:
I like Fleet Foxes, both Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues and even the Sun Giant EP have songs I love even if I don't worship the band at nearly the same level as many others. The first time the band really wowed me was the first time I ever got to properly review their music on their 3rd record Crack-Up, my favorite of the bands album by far. Compared to the bright indie riffs and simple song structures of their early work Crack-Up was a much darker and more wandering experience with multi-phased songs that brought memorable rises and lulls. Seeing the amount of tracks here and their individual lengths was the first sign to me that the band was returning to their conventional album approach. Much the same as the first two records in the bands discography I enjoy Shore, but I'm sure a lot of indie fans will enjoy it more.
There are some really fantastic songs here and the first time the album really wows me is on Sunblind. The track is a beautiful tribute to songwriters who clearly influenced Robin from Elliot Smith and Ian Curtis to David Berman he calls out touching tributes to dozens of musicians over the songs perfectly sweet refrains. The track hangs over a driving mix of country guitar and gentle but omnipresent drums. It's is a spectacular track from somebody who clearly has a deep admiration for all of these unique musical voices. The very next song Can I Believe You is absolutely heavenly as Robin calls out over one of the punchiest guitar riffs I've ever heard in a Fleet Foxes song. Vocalist Uwade Akhere returns for supporting vocals on this track and the result is sheer bliss. The unconventional structure gives way to those unexpected rises and falls that made the last Fleet Foxes record so good but they pull it all off in under 5 minutes. The middle of the track is good but the opening and closing refrains on the song are what really sells it as incredible as Robin calls out questions to a loved one in a stunning moment. '
For A Week Of Two is the most rustic and rural the album get through both its naturalistic lyricism and it's stark instrumentation. At just over two minutes the track paints a memorable but loose narrative and implores you to fill in the dots. Maestranza is an absolutely incredible track with one great refrain after another performed with the spectacular charisma that has always made Robin such a great vocalist. The instrumentation is a Fleet Foxes masterclass in up-beat indie with a steady drum beat rising to match the tracks most triumphant moments and short sweet guitar strums that embellish memorable passages. The hook is also one of the bands most memorable ever and for the second time on the album I am just totally floored by a track.
I'm Not My Season is a stripped back ballad as well as one of the records darkest and most emotional moments. Robin's voice is warm and inviting despite the subject matter and the result is a wonderful intimate moment. Going-to-the-Sun Road stands out instrumentally with a wall of keys hanging over a significant portion of the track. It's also one of the louder instrumentals mixing wise as even when Robin is giving it all vocally he is never popping out of the mix. Even though I wish I could hear the vocals better I do enjoy the song more and more every time I hear it as the crashing waves of instrumentation give the song a vivid sound and help set up for an excellent finale. Finally Cradling Mother, Cradling Woman is one of the most exciting songs of the bunch with exploding symbols and an ecstatic horn line. The track also works in multiple really distinct phases that remind me of my favorites from Crack-Up as well as having some of the most triumphant vocals across the whole album.
A Long Way Past The Past has a punchy array of instrumentation that rises and falls like a more conventionally structured track. It has moments of shining beauty as well as dark ambience that make even Robin going through the motions vocally sound great. The lyrics here are a major highlight as Robin looks back into the past and on his influences with one past tense verb after another. The only problem I have is the songs sudden ending which feels like a letdown after the whole track up to that point. Similarly the closer Shore follows one of the records highest highs with a good but very understated finale. It features minimalist instrumentation and some of the most relaxed singing I've ever heard from Robin as well as an ascending drum line and anthemic snares I enjoy. I do wonder if this was the right song to close the record off with even though I think it's a solid track.
Wading In Waist-High Water is a familiar Fleet Foxes instrumental to begin the album but with Uwade once again on vocals. The rustic folk inspired instrumental is beautiful and when it explodes in the middle of the track it is certainly rousing. The understated vocals don't do much for me but I think the track mostly serves its purpose as an introduction. Jara is the first directly political moment on the record as Robin pays respect to Victor Jara. It's one of the wordier tunes here but the driving percussion and sparkling strings help prevent it from getting lost in the vocal passages. It never blows me away at one spot or another but I can appreciate it as a different approach to the track. Featherweight is a soft sung ballad reminiscent of the first Fleet Foxes record with an instrumental that is lowkey yet surprisingly detailed throughout the track. I don't dislike the song but it is certainly one of the least impactful here with fluttering keys that seemed worked into the mix solely to keep the instrumental from getting stale. The whole song is very pretty but I don't find it very memorable.
Young Man's Game is certainly one of the most driving instrumental on the record with intricate drumming and smooth guitars. It isn't a favorite for me however simply because the refrains don't really grab me and it reminds me of some of the tracks from the bands debut that haven't aged well. Quiet Air / Gioia is another more uptempo rustic piece that kicks off with intense percussion that is some of the best drumming on the entire record. The choral vocals can be a bit abstract particularly when it is just lyricless vocalizing. The track has a slight sonic transition into a compositionally dry second half that just isn't doing much for me. The only song on the whole record that really didn't do much for me is Thymia another ballad surrounded on all sides by sweet strummed guitar and a mellow brass section. When Robin is hitting his stride vocally it can be tolerable but everything on this song is done much better at other places on the record.
Shore has some spectacular highs surely to land among my favorite songs of the year and avoids any true tragic lows. The deep cuts here are better than most records but prevent the record from being as good as it's predecessor. As much as some of the songs on the record make it feel like the band doesn't need those rich compositions to succeed, looking back on this entire record I can't help but miss that element of Crack-Up a lot. But with the baseline of talent going into this record it was definitely going to turn out good regardless and for fans who have been with Fleet Foxes for years this is certainly a worthy addition to the bands discography. 8/10
Album Cover Review By Tyler Judson:
I like this cover. I think that the photo of the water is nice and a little abstract so it takes you a second to place it. The text placement is really nice and the mix of fonts is also a good combo I also really like that the tracklist is underneath, it's a nice addition to fill the space. 6.5/10
For more indie check out my review of Angel Olsen's Whole New Mess here
