Fleet Foxes

Some of the most talked-about newcomers in recent years, Fleet Foxes lived up to the hype by delivering an excellent debut album that was matched (or, some might say, exceeded) by their amazing live shows and knee-buckling multipart harmonies. Revolving around wunderkind Robin Pecknold, the Seattle outfit plays intricately designed folk-pop that sounds classic and fresh at the same time. Three years after that much lauded, self-titled debut launched a thousand harmonizing beardos, Pecknold and band return with Helplessness Blues. The album doesn’t futz much with Fleet Foxes’ winning mix of cyclical songs and billowing arrangements, but it does pin that mix to a bit of utopian yearning and relatable anxiety about living up to high expectations.

Updated 05/10/2011