Fleet Foxes [PA] [Slipcase] (CD - 2008)

Audio Mixer: Phil Ek.

Recording information: Avast Studio, Seattle, WA (2007); London Bridge Studio (2007).

Arrangers: Robin Pecknold; Nicholas Peterson; Casey Wescott; Skyler Skjelset.

With their self-titled full-length Sub Pop debut, Fleet Foxes unveil an impressively confident and engaging set of indie-folk tunes. While singer/guitarist Robin Pecknold's warm, resonant voice clearly brings to mind My Morning Jacket's Jim James, his tight vocal harmonies with other members of the Seattle-based band evoke vintage Beach Boys more than anything else (see the airy "He Doesn't Know Why"). And though the group's gentle instrumentation and pastoral aesthetic affectionately acknowledge 1960s/'70s British folk, they steer clear of self-consciously quirky "freak folk" meanderings, and opt instead for immaculately crafted chamber-pop, best evinced by the swooning "White Winter Hymnal." One of the finest indie releases of 2008, FLEET FOXES casts an undeniably enchanting spell. minimize