Fleet Foxes, Fillmore, 04/14/09

Posted by glen609 on April 15, 2009

Awesome!

I had an apple and considered getting a burger before the show, but I was recording this one and didn’t want to miss a thing.

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I’m more of a hard edged noise rock guitar solo kind of guy, but I know a good thing when I hear it and singer, Robin Pecknold, delivers. I’d listened to their album over and over and wondered where their vocal reverb chamber was coming from. It turns out to be inside Robin’s throat and augmented by the band’s perfect four part harmonies. I’m not usually a sucker for that kind of thing, thinking it’s mountain hippie blather, but it’s employed here for good, not evil.

It also doesn’t hurt that they have great songs, an impressively young looking guitar whiz for leads, an unabashedly and genuinely deferential stage presence, and that operatic vocal coherence that trumps everything. I don’t even know what he’s singing about. It doesn’t seem cliche. The four part harmonies take away somewhat from the ability to understand lyrics, but who cares? They’re brilliant!

Still, I wouldn’t mind a little more instrumental virtuosity. The kid had the skills. He looks bored most of the time. But when the tempo gets going and he’s able to rock out a little he’s in his element and has a good time. He should be able to do that more.

I was alone. My girlfriend works too much. The combination of these anthemic, elegiac tunes and the empty space by my side brought a tear to my eye. Nobody should miss such a thing for work. This is what life is all about. I wouldn’t have missed it for the World and I’m glad I didn’t.

But we all have our priorities and responsibilities. Mine is to life. And music. Nothing trumps it. It’s a universal language that goes deep.

Fleet Foxes goes deep.