User Score
Universal acclaim- based on 245 Ratings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 227 out of 245
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Mixed: 11 out of 245
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Negative: 7 out of 245
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Jul 1, 2011This album is great. Every song is strong. Not as many epic songs as first album but overall I think this work is better than their debut which was also great. Well done. Definitely the best album of the year so far. I give this the #1 spot over TV On The Radio' s 9 types of light effort.
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May 24, 2011Fleet Foxes are, and have always been amazing, this album is no exception. Understated, super honest, gorgeous woodsy folk from the heart. This album is a bit more subdued and humble than the previous, but no less outstanding for it.
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May 3, 2011From the Cover Art to the title "Sim Sala Bim", The Fleet Foxes do not disappoint with Helplessness Blues. Continually seducing the ears track after track to hold on one more note while the song blends perfectly with the next. The album is a perfect sequel to their debut. Not disappointed in the slightest.
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Mar 10, 2012Helplessness Blues steps up the soundscape for Fleet Foxes to a new level. The undeniable greatness of the vocal harmonies remain with new and different instrumental sounds making this album all its own. This is 2011's defining moment in music, one that deserves to be remembered forever.
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May 31, 2011
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May 8, 2011The Fleet Foxes have not disappointed with this sophomore release. The harmonics are astounding as usual; the echoing lofty sounds of Robin Pecknold's voice blending perfectly with the rest of the band. The sounds are quiet, contemplative, and beautiful to listen to. I couldn't have hoped for any better after their first album, but they went ahead and delivered better anyway.
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May 3, 2011
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May 3, 2011NME have no idea about music. The bar was set very high with the release of the first album, and they have definately delivered. If anything I prefer this to the debut. Each track sounds perfected and I haven't heard harmonies like this since the Brian Wilson led era of The Beach Boys. Absolutely fantastic
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May 5, 2011
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May 6, 2011It's pretty funny that the only bad review is from NME, who is showing their true biased colors after getting into words with fleet foxes after quote mining Robin and trying to make him sound like he said something he didn't. Of course he called the NME out on this on twitter and told them to remove the story. I guess they held that against them in their review.
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May 6, 2011Gavin Haynes of NME is clearly not familiar with canoozing, a beloved summer pastime here in the Pacific Northwest. The former was the main point of my posting but in order to make it to 150 wordsâ
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May 7, 2011
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May 10, 2011
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May 28, 2011
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May 29, 2011Another great album by Fleet Foxes who play engaging, blissful tunes. A tough follow up to the debut but worth the wait. Check out band called Cloud Control (Bliss Release) if like FF.
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Jun 3, 2011extremely (and almost annoyingly) flawless and quite possibly better than their self-titled effort. Helplessness Blues is a masterpiece and one of the best albums of 2011.
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Jun 3, 2011Fleet Foxes definitely have avoided the infamous "sophomore slump" that so many bands with great debuts fall into. Helplessness Blues gets better and better with each listen, and I would definitely recommend listening to it many times to discover all of the complexities and intricacies of the album.
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Jun 13, 2011It's pretty rare that a band produces a second album that rivals their first one in quality. While I don't find that there is a standout single on Helplessness Blues the album as a whole just seems stronger and more mature than the s/t. Stellar sophomore album.
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Jun 30, 2011
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Jun 21, 2011Love it- they get those rich harmonies just right, with variation and catchiness in every song. Helplessness Blues goes above and beyond the bar set by Fleet Foxes' first album. A melodic and lyrical masterpiece.
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Jun 29, 2011This has to be the best album of 2011 so far. Introspective, yet universal. Deep, yet accessible. Beautiful music mixed with great vocals, and amazing lyrics. It took a while for me to warm up to it, but once I did I couldn't stop playing this album over and over again. This will go down as one of my favorites for life.
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Aug 30, 2011The best of 2011 for those individuals educated beyond grade 12 that don't define the quality of music by the volume of profanity contained in each song. Highly recommended!
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Aug 31, 2011
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Oct 4, 2011Beautiful, and nothing less, Helplessness Blues is an instant classic. Lyrically and melodically superb it is the epitome of great folk music. The first time I heard Lorelai I began to tear up, and when I watched the Fleet Foxes perform Montezuma live I cried. I really feel I can connect with this album on a personal level, and maybe that is why I find it so remarkable.
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Oct 12, 2011Nearly perfect record ... adventurous and unique, this album will stand the test of time. It doesn't "rock", and there's no Stephen Stills in this band (as they are often compared to CSNY,) but it does something more. It conveys a mood brilliantly and it's parts bring together some of the most gorgeous, honest and original song writing to come along in a long, long time.
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Oct 28, 2011BEAUTIFUL, just everything I could ever want in an album, seeing them live confirmed their true musical genius. I feel as though they really tried to make this album slightly more interesting than the first, which was already great. Perhaps the most underrated track is "The Cascades", what a stunning instrumental, really takes you on a mental journey. Long live Fleet Foxes!!!
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Jan 5, 2012This is a beautiful album, when I make a cup of coffee and put paint to canvas, nothing inspires me more than this album. I honestly thought they couldn't top thier first effort, but now I think they did. Helplessness Blues deserves a 10 and in my opinion is a tossup for best album of the year with Tom Waits 'Bad as Me."
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Jan 12, 2014I give it a 9.75.
-Brilliant instruments (mostly acoustic guitar)
-Beautiful vocals
-Tremendous songwriting
Great album, matches with their previous one, both are fantastic and I don't think I could pick which one I like better -
Jul 5, 2020Beautiful record, the awesomeness washes over you again and again and again
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Apr 21, 2015What I have to say has already been said better by others.
Highlights:
This album is wonderful, an amazing expression of emotion. In addition, Helplessness Blues (the actual track) is my favorite song ever written. Nothing else hits as close to home and sounds so stunning as it does.
Nothing else to say - 10/10, easily.
Awards & Rankings
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Jun 30, 2011The words are as woodsy and quaint as ever. Pecknold seems to take his inspiration from classic British poetry, and rarely refers to objects, characters, or events that would place him in the 21st century, relying instead on imagery like old stone fountains, seeds, keys, sand, and the night sky.
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Jun 9, 2011Where its predecessor corralled modern versions of The Canterbury Tales that the band's foxhunting moniker continues to evoke, Pecknold's Helplessness relies on a suitelike flow in the absence of greatest hits.
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Q MagazineMay 31, 2011Both mysterious and inviting, Helplessness Blues retains and expands what made the debut so special. It's an open door to a private world. [Jun 2011, p.108]