Fleet Foxes have had resounding success touring off the back of their beautiful debut album and for a very good reason; the deft vocal talents of the band combine to create their amazing melodies live just as effectively as they did on record. This was shown again at Prince on Friday 02/01 where the New Year was brought in gracefully through a night full of harmonies and acoustic folksiness, made brilliant by the music’s simplicity.
After opening with Sun it Rises, already whispers of amazement at the band member’s voices began to circle the surprisingly diverse crowd. Whilst the band clearly does have a frontman in Robin Pecknold, it is the harmonies created by all the band members’ unique but compatible voices that make songs like Sun it Rises so great live. After a detour via the instrumental Heard them Stirring the group continued in album order with White Winter Hymna’ and then Ragged Wood. The introduction of miniature electric guitars being played with a violin bow, plucking of acoustic guitars, maracas and a general soft approach for a five member band, resulted in songs with hidden complexities resembling one beautiful and full melody. Incredible skill is required to take more than five instruments and combine them with five unique voices, and then present them in a complex arrangement live that sounds to the listener like one complete sound. This is the true genius of the Fleet Foxes.
Two of the best songs of the night followed with Your Protector and the solo acoustic bliss of Oliver James. Up until this point the band’s fatigue from a hectic touring schedule was evident and detracted slightly from the required emotive delivery of their songs. Your protector, a broodier number brought out the required emotion though and the crowed responded in turn. The band then left the stage leaving Pecknold to strum through Oliver James alone, and it was at this point it became clear what instrument the Fleet Foxes sound hinged on; Pecknold’s voice. Cutting through muffled whispers, it wasn’t long before all attention was focused completely on the stage and the hauntingly beautiful voice emanating from it. Following rapturous applause, the band kicked into Quiet Houses and then crowd favourite He Doesn’t Know Why. The key melody of the latter is so simple and catchy it incites a sense of familiarity that works perfectly with the folk rock nature of the song.
The band finished with Mykonos and Blueridge Mountain, separated by another solo acoustic gem in Tiger Mountain Peasant Song. The only cover played for the night was in the encore with a solo rendition of Steeleye Span’s False Knight on the Road. It is unfortunate more covers were not played as the bands beautiful arrangements and natural talents could make for some superb live covers.
The band showed incredible professionalism for a relatively new band by remaining affable and constantly responsive to the crowd despite visible levels of fatigue. Whilst the show at Prince was brilliant, with such superb skills and arrangements one can only imagine what the future holds for such a unique and talented group.
