Fleet Foxes Quietly Rock Studio 8H

Too often, the saccharine sounds of harmony-heavy bands disappoint live. As anyone who watched SNL this past weekend can testify, such was not the case when Fleet Foxes took the stage in Rockefeller Center. Robin Pecknold, at the foreground on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, led the Seattle-based quintet through a stirring performance of “Mykonos,” which peaked when the band hit the a cappella halfway mark of the song. As the instruments rejoined, drummer Joshua Tillman built up the intensity, showing off great restraint on the kit and a great voice of his own to fade seamlessly into a captivating vocal ending. The Foxes’ second song of the night, “Blue Ridge Mountains,” offered a fine sample of the band’s eponymous full-length release. It also offered Pecknold the opportunity to display a modest range by setting aside his usual reverb-drenched Jim James intonations in favor of a soft, crisp delivery that recalled a young Graham Nash. All in all, Fleet Foxes demonstrated that not only can they write one a hell of a pleasing modern rock song, but they can kick ass live—while carrying a flawless harmony.

Download: Mykonos (Live on SNL 1-17-09)
Download: Blue Ridge Mountains (Live on SNL 1-17-09)