"Good, emotional music is never embarrassing. Music is genuine and healthy and the stimulation I get from molding it and adding dynamics is like nothing else on earth." -Brian Wilson, Hit Parader, October 1966
"Don't Go Near The Water contains all the dedication and craftsmanship of a lunar launch." - Fusion, January 1972
This is undoubtedly my single favorite album of all time. It feels like such a perfect culmination of all the themes and ideas Fleet Foxes has been working with since 2008. It answers many of the questions found on both Helplessness Blues and Crack-Up, and represents an incredible maturation and growth in Robin Pecknold's perspective. Their other albums are certainly masterpieces, but this, in my opinion, is their magnum opus. I doubt it will be recognized as such in its time. isaiah_stuart