Thursday, December 04, 2008

Fleet Foxes



My choice for Song of the Year, ‘He Doesn’t Know Why,’ by Fleet Foxes. I guess it’s possible that someone might release a better song before the end of 2008, but I don’t think so. This is brilliant stuff. Who have these guys been listening to? Pet Sounds-era Beach Boys? Love? Simon & Garfunkel? Among contemporaries, maybe Belle & Sebastian? Anglican choirs singing Evensong?

The Fleet Foxes’ eponymous album is also one of the best releases of 2008.

5 comments:

deemikay said...

Oh, I agree. Fleet Foxes aer great. I hear them as Smile-era Beach Boys (one part of one song in particular sounds like Wind Chimes) mixed with The Band, CSN&Y.

Good choice, and great album.

Don't know what I'd choose for song of the year though... I'll have to have a think.

Colin Will said...

Driving home from Helensburgh tonight I was listening to the Radcliffe & Maconie show (as you do). They played a different track by this band - I enjoyed it, but I was more taken with a Kings of Leon track. Incidentally, I enjoyed their running gag about the unexpected mild snap we had today. Some of the listeners' stories were very funny. A good way to make 100 miles seem less.

Anonymous said...

Ara Batur is the song of the year for me, from the latest Sigur Ros album. 110 people take part on it and it was recorded live - the band, an orchestra and a choir. At the end, I just imagine the huge thumping of the singer's heart, knowing he has brought that recording off.

The song:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=qqZmqlEquCU

A clip from the recording: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=3hny3Yo31RU

deemikay said...

Ooo... and I agree with Roddy as well. That's my favourite song on the Sigur Ros album!

Anotehr option from me would be "We call upon the author" by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Any song that manages to get an unreferenced line from Wallace Stevens in it has to be good, yeah?

deemikay said...

ooops, hit return too quickly... here's the song: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=4k2Hf6Vc2FE