Shore

After casting his net wide with 2017s progressive and intellectually challenging Crack-Up, Robin Pecknold moves into more relatable territory on Shore, Fleet Foxes winsome fourth outing. Blossoming with artistic growth after a six-year hiatus, Crack-Up saw the Seattle native flexing his academic muscle, leading the band through complex multi-part suites that, while often breathtaking, also roiled with the brine of troubled waters. Released to the public on the exact moment of 2020s autumnal equinox with only a days advance notice, Shores comparative tranquility plays almost like a reaction to its predecessor. However, far from a retreat to the earnest halcyon days of Fleet Foxes first two albums, it stands firmly on the other side of Crack-Up both in sequence and emotional maturity. Whether intentionally linked to its thematic date of release or not, Shores 15 songs and accompanying album-length 16mm art film thrive in a fertile tone of Indian summer liminality where darkness lurks at one end and wildflowers at the other. Songs like Sunblind and Jara resonate with sun-dappled expressions of gratitude and empathy, the former name-checking fallen musical heroes (Richard Swift, Arthur Russell, Elliot Smith) and the latter honoring the sacrifice and activism of friends. There are songs about shedding layers (For a Week or Two and Young Mans Game) and finding peace (Featherweight), all wrapped up in neatly constructed folk-rock layers and the bands trademark harmonies, which at this point consists almost entirely of Pecknold, who also played the bulk of the instruments and produced the album. The ambitious changes and arrangements that were a hallmark of earlier releases and threatened to overwhelm Crack-Up are still present, but more subtly applied and ultimately more rewarding. Intricate guitar and piano lines thread throughout most songs, with horns and unobtrusive synths popping in and out of the mix. For every ambitious cut, like the understated thrills of Quiet Air / Gioia or Cradling Mother, Cradling Woman, with its almost Sufjan Stevens-like orchestrations, there are gentle exhalations like the supple acoustic folk ballad Im Not My Season. As a collection, Shore emits a sense of coming through something and arriving anew with the welcome bruises that foster greater understanding and compassion. ~ Timothy Monger

2020年秋に配信リリースされていた4枚目のアルバムがついにフィジカルでも登場。ロックダウンで隔離中の期間も利用した制作には、アデルやケンドリック・ラマーとの仕事で有名なエンジニア、ベアトリス・アルトラが参加。前作に続いての〈海ジャケ〉が示すように、センチメンタルで透明感のある美しさが感じられる。いい意味でルーツ感は希薄になり、よりメロディアスな部分が強調された快作だ。
bounce (C)赤瀧洋二