Fleet Foxes review: Self-indulgence mars an otherwise welcome return

The folksters are back at Brixton Academy after a five-year hiatus
Fleeting glimpse: Robin Pecknold of the band performs live
Mark Winpenny
Elizabeth Aubrey11 December 2017

“It’s been too long,” Fleet Foxes lead singer Robin Pecknold said as he took to the sold-out Brixton Academy stage, marking the band’s return to London after a five-year hiatus.

Beginning with I Am All That I Need/Arroyo Seco/Thumbprint Scar from new album Crack-Up, the band’s trademark sound of striking harmonies, powerful orchestration and pensive lyrics were all intact, only now with added prog.

The stop-start jolts of the first song felt less abrupt live than on the record, but its whimsical halts resulted in an unwelcome, stuttered opening. With its grandiose scope and complex structure, it proved an difficult early digest — its lo-fi leanings didn’t help either.

“Cassius, —” followed, highlighting the band’s new prog experimentation. Yet it was the more simply structured melodies from Crack-Up, such as Fool’s Errand, that chimed most positively with the audience.

Other songs from the album too often veered into self-indulgent fancy, a good example being Third Of May/Odaigahara. Its lyrical density made for a difficult listen and, with virtually no interaction from Pecknold all evening, the crowd’s sense of alienation became apparent.

At their best Fleet Foxes are capable of creating sublime melodies and luscious arrangements that captivate the listener, which they demonstrated last night on He Doesn’t Know Why and Drops In The River.

Pecknold’s solos on Tiger Mountain Peasant Song and Oliver Jones were masterly, as was Morgan Henderson’s stunning multi-instrumentalism. Pushing the band’s live technical depth much further, he helped plug the large Father John Misty gap.

While the band need to work on the balance between the accessible and the abstruse, between the prog and their trademark alt-rock harmonies, their return is, without doubt, very welcome.

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