4. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

Fleet Foxes had a lot riding on this record. The expectations for this nearly destroyed the mental heath of Robin Pecknold, so much that he just put out the album even though he was unsatisfied. But it is more then a satisfying album to listen to! It’s a great addition to the overall body of work that Fleet Foxes has culminated so far, and it solidifies their position at the front of the new crop of folk-sters (is that a word?). It’s a beautiful record, with my favorite being the weird bass clarinet freakout tune, “The Shrine/An Argument”.