A masterpiece of modern folk, Fleet Foxes’ eponymous debut album is the gift that keeps on giving for lovers of acoustic, vocally-interesting tunes. Formed in Seattle in 2006, the band have produced four studio albums, each with a slightly different musical and lyrical atmosphere. I have chosen to sing the praises of their first, Fleet Foxes, not only for the self-indulgent reason that it is my personal favourite, but because it is the sort of album that I mention only to be met with tumbleweed. Even almost twenty years later, this is a timeless classic, still relevant and enjoyable today. With eleven unskippable songs, this is perfect for cosy background listening and blasting through headphones on the train whilst romanticising the passing landscape.

Fleet Foxes have come to the fore more recently for their later works, such as their 2020 album, Shore, which saw the band enter the indie-folk rock scene and was nominated at the 64th Grammy Awards for best alternative album. Each of their subsequent albums that followed their 2008 debut has explored different styles and experimented with a variety of sounds, however it is the debut album, in my opinion, which sets them apart from the masses. The unique sound has, for me, become synonymous with calm, nostalgia, and timeless melody. I was first introduced to it when I was very young, on a family holiday to rural Spain. The image of sprawling mountains, dried-up riverbeds, and endless skies recurs to me upon every re-listening. This is the sort of album where every song has a cinematic quality, painting a musical picture through intricate layers of sound and vocals.

For anybody feeling slightly disillusioned with the modern music scene, tired of heavy autotune and lifeless hi-hat beats, the textured nature of Fleet Foxes is a golden rarity. Drawing primarily on layered acoustic guitar melodies and a slightly haunting, echoing vocal presence, this album encapsulates a sense of ‘grounding’ – literally and metaphorically. Lyrics focus on the natural world, exploring landscapes and memories, however it is the instrumental nature of the album which sets it apart. Each song is full of life and individualism – brilliant for those seeking eminently singable tunes guaranteed to whirl around your head for hours.

I am particularly fond of the tracks which rely very little on lyrics to convey this atmosphere. For example the seventh track, Heard Them Stirring, which is entirely devoid of lyrics but incorporates vocals as an additional layer to the otherwise instrumental piece. The dynamism of the album lies in this subtle contrast between each track, from livelier tunes such as Ragged Wood to more subdued, melody-oriented pieces like Meadowlarks. The range of the album is truly commendable, all while  maintaining a seamless atmospheric transition from one song to the next without creating any uncomfortable dissonance. Leaving my teenage years and entering the ‘adult’ world of my twenties, this album also captures the bittersweet musings of youth. Listening to it frequently over the last fifteen years has not rendered this album a bore – rather, it takes on new meanings for each stage of life. Being the band’s debut album, there is a tentative nature to Fleet Foxes, which was primarily written by Robin Pecknold between the ages of nineteen and twenty-one, trying to find his place within the musical world. I think this rawness and experimentation makes the experience of the album truly special.

A further golden nugget of Fleet Foxes for music and history geeks (like myself) is the cover art. The band chose a section of the 1559 painting The Netherlandish Proverbs by Pieter Bruegel the Elder to be the pictorial face of their debut work, an intriguing choice uniting two different forms of art from two very different centuries. This painting alone is particularly interesting, depicting a scene of peasant life, interleaved with visual depictions of idioms only the keen eye would notice. The painting acts as a pictorial riddle, sheltered amidst a busy and colourful scene. I find this aspect of Fleet Foxes to be particularly enchanting, capturing the philosophical and perpetually humane themes nestled within the album.There is a softness to Fleet Foxes, persistently soothing for someone with a busy, cluttered mind. It has been my ‘comfort album’ since I can remember, and anytime I’m feeling down, my boyfriend will, without fail, reach for my speaker and play it. With limited mention of modern, technological life, this album is like a hot bath for the brain. It dances with themes of nature, love, history, and environment, a welcome escape from the seemingly endless mainstream songs dealing with the well-trodden woes of sex, drink, and exoticism. While these themes have their place and I equally enjoy many other types of music, there is something about Fleet Foxes – a quality of calm, peace, and haunting beauty – which will always stop me in my mental tracks.