Helplessness Blues

Robin Pecknold had initially hoped that the Fleet Foxes could’ve released their second album in 2009; however, the band's touring schedule had caused them some setbacks. They got together to rehearse new songs in February 2009 in a rented house outside Seattle, but the sessions were mostly scrapped, costing the band $60,000 of their own money. After their tour in support of the 2008 releases ended, Pecknold mentioned the possibility of starting to record new songs, but Josh Tillman, Fleet Foxes' drummer and co-song arranger, was scheduled to play Europe and North America all along the 2009-10 winter as part of his solo musical act.

Added to this, Phil Ek, the band's producer and friend answered in an interview that he was likely to continue as the producer as Robin had already sent him some demos to start listening to. In an interview with Pitchfork Media, Pecknold stated he expected the album to be released sometime in the second half of 2010. In an interview with Rolling Stone Magazine, Pecknold admitted that his girlfriend of five years found the stress this album placed on their relationship too much, and ended things. Upon hearing the completed album, she realized that Pecknold's efforts were worth it, and they tried to work it out.[1] The couple has since split up.[2]

Pecknold has come out saying for their second album he tried to sound "less poppy, less upbeat and more groove-based". Taking inspiration from Roy Harper's folk album Stormcock, or at least its 12-string guitar he said: "That will be the primary sonic distancing from the last record". Added to this, he stated they wanted to record very quickly, saying he wanted to do the "vocal takes in one go, so even if there are fuck-ups, I want them to be on there. I want there to be guitar mistakes. I want there to be not totally flawless vocals. I want to record it and have that kind of cohesive sound. Van Morrison's Astral Weeks, to me, is the best-sounding album because it sounds like there were only six hours in the universe for that album to be recorded in. So I want it to have that feeling."[3]

The band had recorded since April 2010 in different locations (including West Hurley, New York) after two years of writing material and decided to scrap the earlier idea of a fast recording (though according to the band, the vocal takes so far have all been done in one take, perhaps in line with the original imperfect recording idea).

The album cover was illustrated by a Seattle artist Toby Liebowitz and painted by artist Christopher Anderson.[4] The title track, "Helplessness Blues" was released via free download on January 31, 2011, and the album's fourth track, "Battery Kinzie" premiered on Zane Lowe's show on March 22. Their record label, Sub Pop, also released a downloadable music video made up of recording and other miscellaneous footage set to "Grown Ocean" on its site in support of the album. For Record Store Day on April 16, the band released a 12" double A-side single of the title track backed with "Grown Ocean" in the US and with "Battery Kinzie" in Europe.[5]

On November 1, the video for "The Shrine / An Argument" was released via Sub Pop's YouTube account and Sean Pecknold's Vimeo account.[6]

On Helplessness Blues, Fleet Foxes take on indie folk, chamber pop, and "meticulous, expansive" folk rock.[7][8][9] It also sees them craft a baroque folk-pop style.[8]

Their debut's Americana is also exchanged for a bigger psychedelic folk influence, particularly the kind from 1960s-era Britain.[10]

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	8.1/10[11]
Metacritic	85/100[12]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[8]
The A.V. Club	A[13]
Entertainment Weekly	B−[14]
The Guardian	[15]
The Independent	[16]
Los Angeles Times	[17]
NME	4/10[18]
Pitchfork	8.8/10[19]
Rolling Stone	[20]
Spin	9/10[10]

Helplessness Blues received widespread critical acclaim from contemporary music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 85 based on 42 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim".[12] Larry Fitzmaurice of Pitchfork wrote that the album's "analytical and inquisitive nature never tips into self-indulgence" and that "amidst the chaos, the record showcases the band's expanded range and successful risk-taking, while retaining what so many people fell in love with about the group in the first place."[19] Chris Martins of The A.V. Club praised the album's "sophisticated, truth-seeking songs",[13] while Alexis Petridis of The Guardian called it "almost laughably beautiful."[15] Andy Gill, writing in The Independent, felt that Fleet Foxes "manage to make giant strides creatively without jettisoning their core sound."[16] Robert Christgau, who was dismissive of the band's previous releases, gave the album a one-star honorable mention, indicating "a worthy effort consumers attuned to its overriding aesthetic or individual vision may well like," and declared it "darker and more socially conscious than either their escapist admirers or their ideological detractors are equipped to notice."[21]

The album was nominated for Best Folk Album at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards.[22]

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[33]

• "Helplessness Blues review". The Times.

• "Grown Ocean" music video on YouTube
• "The Shrine / An Argument" music video on YouTube
• Max Blau (January 14, 2011). "The New Fleet Foxes Album is Finished". PasteMagazine.com.