Fleet or Flat?

I saw the first of Fleet Foxes’ three nights at the Roundhouse on Sunday and was very pleasantly surprised. While I enjoyed their album, and EP, of last year, there was a suspicion that there was something a little too austere or clinical about them, particularly with the album. But on Sunday they lit up the venue, as the songs seemed to take on a new life. The five piece band were all exceptional and looked genuinely excited and proud to be starting a run of shows at the venue, and the singer, Robin Pecknold’s, warm and open interaction with the crowd put many more taciturn stars to shame. It was a genuinely lovely gig, with stand outs ranging from his totally unmiced cover of ‘Katie Cruel’ (and impromptu snatched verse/chorus of ‘It ain’t me babe’) to the band’s gleeful takes on ‘Mykonos’ and ‘Your Protector’. I went into this gig thinking they might be a bit of a let down, after all the hype of last year, but came away thoroughly won over. Here’s to M Ward on Wednesday, which will certainly be my last live gig for quite sometime…