Kevin Bronson on January 31st, 2011

0

Seattle’s serial harmonizers Fleet Foxes poked their heads out of the forests of the Northwest today to announce that their new album “Helplessness Blues” will be out May 3 via SubPop. For the follow-up to 2008’s self-titled debut, the sextet again turned to producer Phil Ek, who, judging from the title track released today, didn’t give Robin Pecknold, Skyler Skjelset, Christian Wargo, Casey Wescott, Josh Tillman and Morgan Henderson any off-key medications. It’s a lovely world-is-crumbling-so-I-might-as-well-sing number that unfolds in two movements. In phase 2 we hear, “If I had an orchard / I’d work till I’m sore,” a sentiment shared these days by anybody confronted with slim pickings.

||| Download: “Helplessness Blues”

||| Live: Fleet Foxes play the Hollywood Palladium on May 7 (tickets on sale Friday).