Sim Sala Bim + Ragged Wood: Fleet Foxes

Sim Sala Bim + Ragged Wood;

Ragged Wood and Sim Sala Bim are from two different albums; Ragged Wood is from their self-titled debut album, which was released in 2008, and Sim Sala Bim is from their second album, Helplessness Blues, which was released in 2011. The most notable element of their music is their use of harmonies; from all of the other elements included within their music their harmonies are their fundamental component. There was a development in atmosphere between both albums: Helplessness Blues became darker and less bright in terms of content and ambience. Their debut album is full of captivating melodies and bright open harmonies, while these aspects are still evident the mood has clearly deepened.

Robin Pecknold, the frontman of Fleet Foxes, has spoken about their avid interest in the incorporation of vocal harmonies into their music and that it's "one of those arbitrary things that, for me, always scratches the itch". They use a range of writing methods, from band member, Casey Wescott, writing some of the more complicated harmony arrangements where the rest of the band will learn them and then record them together, to just having the idea of the way the harmonies will work and not worrying about the exact notes, "this will be block harmonies moving together, this will be voices pulling against each other, this will be two voices". The use of their harmonies, although evident in both pieces, is more of a focus in Ragged Wood (although not as evident as some other songs on their debut album, such as, Sun It Rises or the intro to White Winter Hymnal) where in the bridges of the track they make use of their haunting four-part harmonies.

Their music has clear influences from many genres, quite often reflecting what they themselves have been listening to while they were writing. This explains why their influences are so varied when songwriter Pecknold listens to music from the likes of John Coltrane to Van Morrison. While their lyrics reflect the ambience of their music "Come down from the mountain, you have been gone too long / the spring is upon us, follow my ornate song" so does their accompaniment - sounding out their american folk influences with rushes of guitar and percussion, occasionally slowing for soft voices to then run away with the music in the manner that Sim Sala Bim concludes, after Pecknold sings "Remember when you had me cut your hair? / Call me Deliah then I wouldn't care".

Fleet Foxes have two solid albums to date both with similar elements but equally diverse in influences, I'm just waiting for some more music of theirs to lose myself in.

Sim Sala Bim;