sun it rises
finding solace in Fleet Foxes' self-titled debut, 13 years later
today began as a day where simultaneously everything and nothing was what it appeared to be. so i slipped back into familiarity by revisiting the modern classic folk album, Fleet Foxes’ self-titled debut from 2008. the album celebrated its 13-year anniversary on June 3 and it’s one of my favorite no-skip records. every song is like a spell that bears repeating.
i remember this era of music so vividly. and like most things with music & me, it all goes back to last.fm — i was introduced to Fleet Foxes via a station i made through that app. i would have discovered this album a couple years after its debut, but i became a fan of the band just in time for their sophomore album, Helplessness Blues (2011). one of my favorite songs ever is also from this time period but it’s from Fleet Foxes’ EP Sun Giant, which preceded the debut album by a couple months.
the LP Fleet Foxes is bonafide chamber pop with prominent streaks of folk — even veering on freak folk (one of my favorite genres, made popular by the likes of Sufjan Stevens, Animal Collective, Devendra Banhart, etc). i recall a trip to Chicago where i had my mp3 player on shuffle and “White Winter Hymnal” came up. after instantly falling in love with the enchanting melody, i gave my brother the splitter from my headphones and we listened to the song on repeat for an unprecedented amount of time. “again?” i’d ask. and he’d enthusiastically nod his head with a smile before i started the track once again.
i didn’t really start collecting records until undergrad, which is when i purchased this gem for my collection. this is a real throwback, but i even remember when it was popular on Tumblr and Vine to twerk to indie music and you’d have dancing videos (from the likes of the Twerk Team) dubbed over with songs like “He Doesn’t Know Why” (somebody needs to bring this concept back for the TikTok generation).
when i say this album is like a warm blanket — so cozy, so inviting, so familiar. i listened to it in full as i prepared this piece (it clocks in just under 40 mins) and i think it’ll be on repeat this whole weekend. i’ll leave you with the track “Blue Ridge Mountains,” which is an indie lullaby in its own right. happy friday!