Musical Thesis: Fleet Foxes “Sun Giant”

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At the center of every album is a musical thesis. This thesis can be the driving force behind the album, a theme that interweaves songs together, or a feeling you are left with after the very last song plays. With some albums, the thesis is easy to find. On others, it is hidden and requires you to be more than a passive listener. These reviews are not about rating an album. Instead, it is about uncovering a musical thesis.

And you will go to Mykonos
With a vision of a gentle coast
And a sun to maybe dissipate
Shadows of the mess you made

The year is 2020 (everyone’s least favorite year). I am driving across the country from Oklahoma to Washington. The country is reeling from a misguided approach to the pandemic. Fresh off a failed attempt at a thru-hike of the Colorado trail and a few weeks at my mom’s home, I decide it is finally time to return to Seattle. Waiting for me is the prospect of a terrible job market and an extended stay with my future in-laws.

Hoping to find some inspiration in the mire of ceaseless bad news, I drive toward the Devil’s Tower National Monument. From there, I will continue onto the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, and Glacier National Park.