A Fleet of Foxes sounds bad, but trust me, it’s not.

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I was shocked! the other day to hear that there was someone who actually disliked Fleet Foxes! I understand if you have never heard of them and have not given the album a listen… But to have an actual dislike of the band blows my mind!

There is no band I have ever found, with the small exception of the Beatles (but then again there are those mislead Stones fans we won’t speak of…) who after listening to them can collectively say ‘YES. I LOVE this band.’ Fleet Foxes has even caught the attention of a hardcore Swedish Death Metal fan I know. Everyone has their own tastes and moods and ‘times of the month’ with their musical selections.

But when the lovely chap I live with left an album for me one morning written across it “When you put this record on, you will now be listening to your new favorite album” I didn’t quite believe him. But I put that album in my car and haven’t looked back. I’ve actually only looked forward to whatever else I can get my hands on regarding Fleet Foxes.

In a time where every band is trying to be some other band, Fleet Foxes have come out and done what was absolutely necessary for music. They made an album with no pretentions, no fluff, no bullshit, no ‘we want to sound like (…insert some random band here…)’ They made an album that was them. And only them. They wrote songs they like, they wrote songs that meant something to them, they wrote songs that were REAL.

Sure the Beach Boys influences are thrown around all the time when Fleet Foxes come up. But honestly I don’t hear it (except on the breakdown of ‘Quiet Houses’ with the piano and guitar and bass lines playing the same lines). The harmonies are great. Is that what people are talking about? Are the Beach Boys the only band in history who sang harmonies? NO!

So thank you Robin and the other Foxes. You have given the world an album that folks 20 years from now can look back on and be like, YES, good music was made in the 2000’s. And for the disliker I spoke of earlier, LISTEN TO THE ALBUM WITH OPEN EARS!.  And do it at least 3 times and then report back. I can guarantee you will feel differently.