The Smiley Smile Message Board

New Fleet Foxes album dropped suddenly today. Give it a listen, it's excellent.

A track towards the end samples a BW voice clip from the Pet Sounds sessions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2SZCIZrllc&ab_channel=FleetFoxes (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2SZCIZrllc&ab_channel=FleetFoxes)

Robin Pecknold talking about Pet Sounds in a recent interview:

"Pet Sounds is a big influence generally speaking. This is definitely the most studio rat, Brian Wilson-y, overdub-y of any of our records. That approach is what made me want to get into the music in general. The little bits of Brian Wilson dialogue on that song are taken from my favorite piece of music ever, which is this a cappella clip of him laying vocal after vocal for this idea for “Don’t Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder).” That piece of music is what made me want to be a musician, hearing him, just with his voice, building this whole world and how magical that felt, how he didn’t even need a guitar. It had this egalitarian wonder that was super inspiring to me as a teenager. Same thing with growing up in Seattle and having Kurt Cobain nearby making us all think we could do that too."

Thank you for posting this - I was listening to the radio yesterday when they announced that Fleet Foxes had suddenly released a new album, and played a track from it immediately. This is the first I'm hearing this one, and had no idea Brian was sampled on it! Very cool tribute to BW, and I can't wait to dig into the new album in full.

P.S. - Do I need to sign a guarantee or waiver or apologize if I listen on YouTube first?   :lol :hat :p ;) ;D

I have to agree with Robin, when I first got the Pet Sounds reissue and heard that vocal background, that amazing "wall of Brians" erupting into those harmonies, I was mesmerized. I still am whenever I listen, and while it's not my favorite bit from Pet Sounds (how can you choose when there are so many? ) it ranks right up near the top for me too. Here was one young guy with one working ear no less covering every voice from bass to soprano alone at the microphone and building an amazing harmony part piece by piece. Still as impressive and inspiring as any music you could cite, within that one snippet.

Very, very neat to hear such a tribute released in late 2020. It also is part of the many reasons why Pet Sounds just ranked #2 album of all time on the Rolling Stone list: The album is timeless though approaching 55 years old next year, and it continues to influence and inspire artists 2 complete generations removed from its original era. And in this case, look at the impact an unused vocal overdub outtake had on a prominent musician like Robin. Amazing.

The moment that got me was hearing the stereo pet sounds set way back on Christmas 97 and hearing the back up vocals for Wouldn’t It Be Nice . Just blew me away

:lol and when you make crystal-clear, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you're listening on YouTube don't you really mean that you illegally downloaded this album from Napster/Limewire/PirateBay?? Because clearly that's what "I listened to the tracks on YouTube" means these days!


I was knocked on my *ss when I first heard it. I mean, I had to listen again and again and again to make sure I actually heard something that beautiful. I don't know how many other people can be hypnotized/mesmerized by that little snippet, but I still get goosebumps when I listen to it.

Interesting piece.

Is it me, but with this and their last album, has Fleet Foxes morphed from an Indie Folk style band into more of a Progressive Rock band?

Almost reminds me of Grizzly Bear.

Like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqVxd57H-cA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeImOrp2bFI

Anyway off topic. :)

Nice tribute. I love their first album!

Indie folk has come and gone as far as mainstream interest goes - it only really lasted a couple years in the earlier 2010s.

Very cool. I had already heard that track a couple times and didn't pick up that there was a sample of Brian.

Re: Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues was my favorite; that was gorgeous. I didn't get into that last album as much. This one is growing on me.

I like Grizzly Bear too, but for me it's all about Daniel Rossen. I am a HUGE fan of that guy.