Fleet Foxes hardly need an introduction. In the past five years they have exploded onto the indie music scene, touring across North America and Europe to multitudes of sold out shows and devout fans. Their debut album was proclaimed Album of the Year by both Billboard and Pitchfork, and The Guardian described them as “a landmark in American music”. They have often been classified as an upbeat, folk-pop band, with harmonies reminiscent of the Beach Boys and a twang in their step a la Neil Young. However, seeing Fleet Foxes live exposes a deeper side to the Seattle-based band.

Lead singer Robin Pecknold has said their latest album ‘Helplessness Blues’ is a journey of “the struggle between who you are and who you want to be…and how sometimes you are the only thing getting in the way of that”. Indeed, for all their gorgeous harmonies and soaring melodies, Fleet Foxes nevertheless possess an inherent darkness in their soul, one that discretely manifests itself at their live show.

While the Britneys and Biebers of the world are being washed in an epileptic fit of colours and pyrotechnics, Fleet Foxes kept their light show simple: light on, or light off. Fancy lighting wasn’t needed to set the mood for this show – the dualism of light and dark worked in perfect harmony with the longing vocals of ‘Montezuma’ and the haunting eeriness of ‘Tiger Mountain Peasant Song’. Indeed, there is a sadness in Pecknold’s voice that evokes imagery of ancient England and times gone by, and it was stunningly displayed in dark horse hit ‘Your Protector’. Arguably the highlight of the show was unexpected choice ‘The Shrine/An Argument’, an eight-minute epic and all-out effort which showcased the undeniable talent of the entire band.

When first listening to a Fleet Foxes album, it’s easy to classify them as an upbeat, folk-pop band, a lovechild of the Beach Boys and Dylan. However, when seeing them live, a deeper listen exposes a darker side, one that is beautifully balanced by their goosebump-inducing harmonies. One fan even broached the subject of the light/dark dualism herself, when she yelled out “you guys are sweet!” – to which Robin Pecknold responded, “well…thank you to all the evil people, without whom sweetness would not be perceived”.

Fleet Foxes
Brighton Dome
August 16, 2011

WORDS BY KATE DAVIES
PHOTOS BY JAZZ CHANDLER