(As published in Malay Mail)
THE Fleet Foxes skulked into town along with fairly tepid anticipation.
No doubt, the Seattle five-piece are celebrated for their brand of folk fit for a forest campfire, but where do they fall on the agenda of other touring indie bands that will grace Kuala Lumpur at some point this year?
They were tasked with warming up a 1,000-or-so fans on a cold Kuala Lumpur night and did an better-than-expected job.
Robin Pecknold’s lulling vocals created a decent amount of foot-tapping and swaying among the stronghold.
They opened with relatively deeper, new high-tempo material from third album Crack-Up, songs Arroyo Seco andCassius, offering something ambitious to the soothing heavenly harmonies that catapulted them to fame in 2011 on Helplessness Blues.
Into favourites Blue Ridge Mountains and Mykonos some even began jumping.
With a sing-along to follow with the encore, which included an intimate Pecknold solo for Oliver James, you would be inclined to tick the show
a success.
a success.
But it begged the question how well the Foxes’ six-year absence from the scene boded for them.
The scene? The Pitchfork scene — the brand of leftfield folk that 10 years ago emerged from the depths of the American wilderness like Walter White in the end ofBreaking Bad.
Bands such as Bon Iver, Grizzly Bear and Fleet Foxes turned this secluded woodland into their kingdom, a drawn-back sound of indie rock that bordered on the experimental.
No doubt it created a stir back then — Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago, written from his family’s winter cabin, was a generational success — and four years laterHelplessness Blues earned Fleet Foxes a Grammy nomination.
Some might call it the instigating movement that preceded new decade hipsters — facial hair and alternative branded clothing galore.
Since Bon Iver delved into electronica, leaving fans the preferable option of revisiting Forever on its anniversary last year.
Grizzly Bear failed to make the same ripple beyond 2009’s avant-garde Veckatimest which left it down to Fleet Foxes to come up with the goods.
Chronologically, the Grammy nomination in 2012 could be viewed as the Pitchfork peak — the final time the genre reached widespread appeal.
Time to stick a fork in it?
Locals confirmed the Fleet Foxes first Malaysia show was throwback value.
“These bands still have a place for people my age, yes. It’s nostalgia,” said telco engineer Emilia Zainudin, 26.
“We’ve loved them since we were 16. So I would come anyway just to see them.”
Singer Zamir Alif, 33, frontman of the Subang punk band Killeur Calculateur, was in attendance: “People will always come and see because it’s Fleet Foxes in Malaysia. They’re awesome.”
Overall, it was positive feedback.
Fans expecting a chilled night were surprised by the turnout and bit of oomph the band offered, impressing with multiple instrument changes and enthusiasm on display.
As the night wound down, bassist Christian Wargo offered the Malaysians he had spoken to on the band’s travels in the previous 24 hours was “something beautiful”.
The crowd admittedly ranged from teens up to adults.
But pressed for details, it was hard to determine what was so remarkable with the exception of the venue and its sound.
“Bands like this don’t come very often,” said content marketer Amran Rahman, 25, and that was about as good as
it got.
it got.
Pahang folk trio The Impatient Sisters supported.
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