Fleet Foxes : Helplessness Blues
 

Has this been released? Or did it leak?

It leaked. Gonna listen soon.

Gonna vote excellent on this album. I feel that it's stronger than their debut album as far as consistency and ambition go. I also got this really awesome, sort of dark, almost medieval vibe from this album... loved that.

Upload please...?

This please.

I'm really tempted to get it illegally myself......

Nice cover art. I'm not really interested in hearing it though as I found their debut quite dull. But who knows, I may give it a shot.

^^try the debut EP, Sun Giant - it's slightly superior

not as good as their other stuff... especially the harmonies.

This album didn't click with me immediately the same way that many of the songs on the debut did, but its grown on me a lot and I think that it is overall, a stronger and more mature effort.

Haven't heard this album yet. Is it catchier than their last LP? (which wasn't catchy at all in my opinion), or are they sticking with their mature indie-folk sound?

I'm going to give this a listen considering I like Fleet Foxes... hope I won't be disappointed.

I think they are a very good band who have done some great songs but not a consistently great classic album yet.

im going to wait until i can get this retail.

Both their EP and debut album were incredible! I was worried about this one but clearly I was wring because they managed to amaze me again. This is pure greatness and beauty :) To me, saying that this band is dull is like saying Justin Bieber is incredibly talented. So try again!

waiting for the actual physical CD here also

I'm just starting to listen to this album (I'm on the first song), but I can already tell that this will be a quality listen.

NME did a hostile review

Fleet Foxes - Album Review: Fleet Foxes - 'Helplessness Blues' - Album Reviews - NME.COM

That was the worst review I've ever read in my life. Complete and utter bull****. How can you possibly give such a scathing review to such a well put together album. Obviously not everyone will like it, but you have to respect it when it's this well done.

I lol'd. It doesn't even sound like the writer holds those opinions, it sounds like he's trying to write the most hostile review of all time and comes off as trying to hard.

the physical CD is already out

just a matter of time before I procure it

just got it

the tunes are hardly as good as the debut or the EP

still good, but not great

meh/5

I've never really understood the praise this band has received.

I've understood the praise, more than that of some other groups anyway. :) As I said before I don't think they have done a classic album yet, but I think they could be capable of doing one. So they unlike nearly every other hyped group deserve a bit of hype.

At first I didn't mind Fleet Foxes. I got that EP. It was decent. Now I freakin hate them. I got satellite radio in my car and usually stick to the XMU station where they play all the latest indie stuff...every other freaking song is the Fleet Foxes. I don't know why people have such a huge boner over them...they are nothing special at all.

The new album hasn't really grown on me the way I thought it would, it seems to fall short of my expectations. Although it is a good album for me it doesn't come close enough to the benchmark set by their debut and their Sun Giant EP. It's probably one of those albums that will take a long time to grow on you so I'll probably have a better view on it in a few months time.

The first album might be slightly better, but even if you don't consider them 'special' perhaps you would consider them good at times at least. And if they have done some good songs that is a good thing, better than quite a few hyped groups.

I did consider them to be at least good. The thing is, I don't like it when "just good" bands are shoved down my throat as if they were the next big thing. It just annoys me and then I can't listen to that band anymore.

That's fanboyism, I did a thread on that somewhere. Yeh it can get annoying, I'm not sure Fleet Foxes fans are the worst at that though.

It's more the radio than the fans at this point. Although I've seen quite a bit of praise around here, too.

Well I don't listen to the radio really, not music radio anyway.

i love Fleet Foxes, for bringing back those CSN (&Y) harmonies

See, I don't get how radio play could turn people off on Fleet Foxes unless the only thing you listen to is folk-oriented stations 24/7. They have a certain timelessness/earnestness about them that doesn't feel saccharine or particularly bound to the whole "typical" Indie folk/pop/rock aesthetic (a thing that even their contemporaries like Grizzly Bear can't seem to shake).

Then again, I guess even fantastic vocal harmonies can get old after awhile. All things in moderation and all that...

Most of their contemporaries definitely feel limited by what you describe, including Bon Iver. The folk-rock of Fleet Foxes is more melodic and old fashioned, and I see that as a good thing.

No one will ever be able to top CSNY harmonies, though. Just listen to this again.



Give me one song with great vocal harmonies by anyone else that sounds better than that.

Honestly, I'm just being difficult about it. I don't find Fleet Foxes to be all that great to begin with and hearing them get hyped so much just gives me a reason to be a dick.

How about a few songs? :finger:

So far only 8 have given it the top rating (equivalent I suppose of saying it is a classic). Over 30 have done that in the Arcade Fire and the Animal Collective threads on page 1. Until the voting reaches that level I think it's hard to say there is that much fanboyism for Helplessness Blues on this board at least.

I knew you would be the one to rise to the challenge. The first song doesn't even hold a candle to "Helplessly Hoping". The second song, while good (I think I'm going to download whatever album that is on now), is still not up to par. The third song really tries, but fails to give that incredibly haunting feel that CSNY nail on that song.

I'll gladly listen to anything else you throw at me, though...you are giving me some good suggestions.

I thought the first song sounded pretty good, the other two though wouldn't be my favourite from those artists I think. Maybe you just have a particular preference for the sound of CS&N more than anything.