Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

I was raised up believing, that I would never hear a song about conformity that made me be the man I wanted to be. But alas, this intrepid quartet from Seattle, WA, never ceases to amaze me. Their eponymous debut doesn't just stand head and shoulders above all other 2008 releases, it lives in another world. "Helplessness Blues" is the road-weary first cousin of the Foxes' previous releases: thumping, moving, yearning, unaware yet serene, assured yet apprehensive, rhythmic, forward-looking and optimistic. "If I had an orchard I'd work 'till I'm sore" croons Robin Pecknold; you can pretty much taste the sun-kissed juices flowing out of that nectarine. Their music is more than just sweet, and the upcoming album will be anything but helpless.