There is something about Fleet Foxes that keeps bringing me back to them.  I love the harmonies and the overall feel of their music, like a group of bearded guys sitting by the fire playing guitar, in a forest with a bit of an echo.

However all of their songs to me seem to have flaws.  For example ‘He Doesnt Know Why’ starts off great and builds up to what should be something epic, but then grinds to a halt and labours on into nothing. 

I’ve started listening to their new album ‘Helplessness Blues’, in the hope things may have changed.  The first song ‘Montezuma’ is amazing, very simple but deep as well, and thankfully it doesn’t drift off at the end.  

But ‘The Plains/Bitter Dancer’ is just unforgivable.  This could have been truely epic, from the intro to the first part of the song, its like listening to a classic found from decades ago.  But then the song suddenly changes direction and turns into a bit of mess.  Maybe I need to give it a few more listens, but I can’t see my opiniun changing. 

And the second song ‘Bedouin Dress’, why do they feel the need to have clapping in the intro?  I just can’t get past the clapping. 

It seems most of their songs I have to switch off half-way through, which is a bit of a shame.  Hopefully after a few more listens I may get into the album more, but if not then I guess I’ll have to give up and accept that I’m not a Fleet Foxes fan.