2008 shall be remembered as the year folk-rock went big. Following a modest Whelan’s date a mere five months ago, this visit saw Seattle’s Fleet Foxes bring their self-described ‘baroque harmonic pop jams’ to Vicar St. Bon Iver has been the subject of a similarly stratospheric rise in popularity.
Thus the musicians took to the stage tonight carrying a great weight of expectations. Opening with ‘Sun Giant’ from the EP of the same name the talented troupe immediately captured our hearts with their sublime close vocal harmonies and intricate song structures.
In the first part of the show banter was muffled and the band passed the time between songs earnestly tuning their instruments. As they settled into the performace engaging tales of late night drinking in Dublin, Barack’s victory and their love of Planxty and The Bothy Band began to punctuate the set.
The stunning wall of sound that makes the latest breath-taking long-player so impressive was lavishly recreated through inventive playing, lush instrumentation and the unique impact of the vocal arrangements. There was a raw intensity to the performance – but perhaps the songs demand this by their very nature.
The encore saw singer Robin Pecknold take to the stage solo, plug out, step away from the mic and perform a spinetingling version of Karen Dalton’s ‘Katie Cruel’ – you could have heard a pin drop. The power of this unplugged rendition in the large crowded venue was quite awe-inspiring. After an impassioned ‘Tiger Mountain Peasant Song’ he was then re-joined by his cohorts for an enchanting ‘Blue Ridge Mountains’.
Spookily magical – I suspect a Faustian pact.