Fleet Foxes - 'Sun Giant EP' (Bella Union) Released 05/05/08

Opener 'Sun Giant' sets the scene with tankard in hand and slaughtered pheasant gracing the table - a near a capella baroque male voice choir styled harmonies with cathedral-esque atmospherics like some lost rock 'n' roll sacred hymn, as the song goes - "What a life I lead in the summer/ what a life I lead in the spring..." with the merest whisper of a mandolin melody to close. 'Drops In The River' is an altogether different fish - with bucolic C, S, N, & Y harmonies and an earthy, anthemic lift, Fleet Foxes perform that Midlake-hover-of-the-hand alchemical act that transforms the base metal of prog-rock influences into contemporary gold - let's not shy from the fact that elements of Fleetwood Mac, early-Genesis, The Moody Blues and other long-hairs all bubble in the cauldron, the verse opening - "...days are just drops in the river to be lost always/ Only you -/ You know..." ..." and the resultant humdinger throbbing with acoustic and rock riffs.

The influences remain for 'English House', a sun-dappled melody whirling with vocal harmonies and acoustic instrumentation like some dance of the mayflies with Fairport Convention/Jethro Tull-esque medieval-folk merriment in the orchard - "...a country house/ a liar and a louse...". Native American War chants/fireside chants, meanwhile, are evoked on the folkier 'Mykonos' with cascading Yeasayer-styled love of group harmonies, and the closer 'Innocent Son' packs a power in a lone country-soul number by Fleet Foxes songwriter, Robin Pecknold.

Prog-hymns, baroque pop, medieval-folk, male voice choir harmonies - they're elements combining to produce one of the richest sounding acts to emerge, whose melodies and harmonies evoke the mysteries of the creative act and whose timelessness comes unscathed through the centuries.