Reminder: This Is Not A Sports Blog

Not that I have anything recent to complain in the world of athletics. Nope. Not me. Can't think of anything.

Anyway, it's late on a Friday and I might have a couple drinks in me, but it's become apparent to me (and I wanted to share, because that's what friends are for) that Robin Pecknold is a fucking genius, and the finally emerged proper inheritor of the great tradition of Bob Dylan and Paul Simon as Great American Songwriter. All these annointings of good wordsmiths and writers as the new keeper of the flame over the last 25 years have been wishful thinking, just trying to fill a void for the sake of filling it - "these giants left footprints and we have to name a successor now" thinking. Steve Earle, Townes Van Zandt, Leonard Cohen, David Bowie, Sufjan Stevens, Lucinda Williams, Ryan Adams, Jeff Tweedy, Sam Beam, Conor Oberst. For BG and me, Gary Louris. Every year it seems we name some other artist as the heir apparent.

Well, to me, Pecknold is the One. Those others are great, and they've put together some amazing stuff. But, to wit:

http://soundcloud.com/subpop/fleet-foxes-helplessness-blues

My god. It makes a spirit soar. Starts out slightly hokey lyrically, but ends up transcendent. How can a human listen to that and not feel uplifted? What a voice. It takes one to another place. The world and all the bullshit and trials and stress just fall away when you turn it on and turn it up. You can't help but sing along. It's like "American Tune" or "The Boxer" with a slightly less cynical and world-weary feel.

I note that the aforementioned Dylan and Simon both started as straight up folksters. There must be something to that.

I still listen to first Fleet Foxes LP start to finish at least once a month. It makes the world a better place.

Bonuses:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-KWC_G-nDI&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfED3hU86TU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtGnfHEAv_4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2pYW3wOSd4&feature=related

Notice the guitar work in addition to the voice.

My bold prediction: in 20 years, this is the guy everyone calls the genius.