Things have changed a lot since Fleet Foxes had come out with their previous album, the universally and relatively commercially loved "Helplessness Blues" in 2012. Their former drummer Josh Tillman's solo act Father John Misty blew up to the point that he might forevermore overshadow his former group. Indie Rock had reached a subgenre trough, what with foundational bands The Strokes and Modest Mouse fading into obscurity and still-relevant relative giants Arcade Fire and Bon Iver jumping ship to disco and glitch folk, respectively. Even the commercial doppelgängers of the Fleet Foxes, Mumford and Sons and The Lumineers among others have struggled to retain notoriety after Spotify America has gotten tired of their tweed disguises.
Now, in 2017, Fleet Foxes are in front of the pack, given to do what they want. Sure, they might not be as popular as they were in 2012. The Needle Drop's Helplessness Blues review, having over-eclipsed a million views, used to be the channel's most popular video. Now, it's at eight, and it's doubtful that we'll see Fleet Foxes, or any band like them, get any higher from now on. Their off-line decline is mentionable as well, being that their mainstream relevance has essentially been relegated to the vinyl section of Barnes & Noble. But, if anything, this opens the door for them to wow us again, and they certainly know it. Just take the opening track, "I Am All That I Need / Arroyo Seco / Thumbprint Scar." Robin begins with a very low, very lazy vocal "I'm all that I neeeeeed." The listener is left to wonder the sound of the album will be --if they hadn't listened to the singles, of course (which seems to be the trend.) Then, the floodgates open with leonine, galloping instrumentals and the trademark howling vocals of Robin. It's Fleet Foxes! Hold on--there seems to be a problem. Along with this rush of instrumentation, what stands out is a single acoustic guitar note played over and over again to not melodic effect. And it's not interesting; it's distracting. The guitar sounds like when you have family over for Father's Day, and your little cousin unassumingly takes your guitar and plays the low E incessantly, much to the delight of your family and to the chagrin of you.
Despite this questionable decision, the instrumentation alone on "I Am All That I Need" sets the tone for the rest of 'Crack-Up', the densest album of a band with an already-dense sound. The song structures and arrangements on this album throw the listener off on almost every song. "Naiads, Cassadies" starts with a simple melody before making a quick, flowing detour into an ambient wash-over, accompanied with a piano riff that seems to be taken out of something like The War On Drugs' "Lost In The Dream." If we were to categorize the piano, though, it's full album presence would be more fit to be compared to Radiohead's "A Moon Shaped Pool," given that the piano inclusions are always tumbling and scattershot. The very next song, "Kept Woman", features a piano arpeggio that sounds like that out of "Daydreaming." Then, there's "Cassius, -", equipped with a catchy hook that does a great job separating itself from the verses, and the violin-led outro always ends up pleasantly surprising me with every listen.
The second half of the album is more experimental. "I Should See Memphis" starts out pleasantly acoustic before becoming engulfed in feedback. Then, there's "Mearcstapa", starting with just an odd tone to it. The guitar riff has an almost sinister sound, and a harpsichord comes into pepper in throughout the first half. Then, the second half is a full jam, layered with everything from a cello to a violin to a viola. "If You Need To, Keep Time On Me" is surprisingly straightforward, but it's a nice, reliable refresher, especially after the winding epic "Third of May / Ōdaigahara."
As with every album that has and will come out in 2017, we look to see if Trump has made any effect on this album. "Crack Up" is a peculiar example, given that it is so beautiful and earnest that it seems escapist on the level of "La La Land." And although the Fleet Foxes do lean toward the romantic, they would also like to remind us that they see what's going on every day in this country. The title itself, "Crack-Up", has its own existential stance, and it veers curiously close to Father John Misty's more overtly political "Pure Comedy." The lyrical content itself does dabble in reference, as well. The song "Cassius" is a clear nod to "Julius Caesar," which is now made all the more connected to Trump. Then, there's "If You Need To, Keep Time On Me," which starts with "How could it all fall on one day?" which has its electoral resonances.
There is so much to unpack that each listen will delight with something previously unnoticed. However, none of the instrumental decisions seemed to wow me as someone like Feist did in her recent release Pleasure. But this album really does thrive in the subtleties. Take the one note in "Fool's Errand" that transitions from the verse to the chorus; that one note makes the entire song. It actually encapsulates the entire album, one that neatly, comfortably fits itself in the nooks and crannies of the 2017 year of music. So while other artists are going out making grandiose, political statements, it's a nice counterpart to have a subtle, nuanced accompaniment.
