内容紹介
今や評判が評判を呼び「アメリカの至宝」と評される、ヴォーカルのRobin Pecknoldを中心としたシアトルのロック・バンド、Fleet Foxes(フリート・フォクシーズ)。現在は元Pedro the Lion〜Crystal SkullsのChristian Wargo、シンガー・ソングライターのJ.Tillmanらを加えた5人組として活動している。バンジョー、マンドリン、ピアノ、フルート等多種多様な楽器を使い、壮大なサウンドと、美しすぎるコーラス・ワークで、デビューと共に世界中のメディアから大絶賛を受け、2008年海外主要メディアの年間チャートを独占した、今最も高い評価を集める話題のバンド。70'sアメリカン・ロックや古典的なフォーク、ゴスペル等のトラディショナル・ルーツを融合、深化させて21世紀に呼び戻した、流麗かつ壮大なサウンド・スケープ。ジャケットは、16世紀を代表するネーデルランド絵画の巨匠ブリューゲルの「ネーデルランドの諺(The Netherlandish Proverbs)」(画中では、人々の生活を舞台に様々に繰り広げられる諺や格言の場面が80種類以上。『Billboard』(米)、『Pitchfork』(米)、『Under The Radar』(米)、『Mojo』(英)、『The Times』(英)、『No Ripcord』(英)と海外メディアの年間チャート一位を独占した本作。
Amazonレビュー
It's now twenty years since grunge emerged from then culturally isolated Seattle and Fleet Foxes, the eponymous debut album from the city's latest heroes, demonstrates just how much American independent rock has mutated in that time. The five young members of Fleet Foxes make up a very different sort of rock band, describing their own music as "baroque harmonic pop jams". Even that understates the depths of the quintet's effortless vocal harmonies and gently woozy, folky feel. Of their contemporaries only the enigmatic Midlake and My Morning Jacket at their most fragile come close, but neither could have cooked up the Beach Boys spiritual of "White Winter Hymnal" or its more powerful companion piece "Ragged Wood". In fact Fleet Foxes happily admit to aspiring to an earlier tradition--not just obvious antecedents like the Byrds, the Association, Neil Young and, especially, David Crosby's famously unfocussed solo album If Only I Could Remember My Name but ancient English folk songs and their later American descendents. All were hunted and gathered from the internet--songwriters Robin Pecknold and Skye Skjelset are barely in their twenties. Add a host of unlikely instruments and the results are stunning, the complete antithesis of mainstream stadium indie that has followed Arcade Fire. Still, the cover features a Bruegel painting of peasants that might have graced any Black Sabbath sleeve. In that way at least Fleet Foxes salute a local tradition. -Steve Jelbert
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