''Sun Giant'' is the second
EP by American band
Fleet Foxes, released on April 8, 2008, by
Sub Pop
Sub Pop is an independent record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. Sub Pop achieved fame in the early 1990s for signing Seattle bands such as Nirvana (band), Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney, central players in the gru ...
and
Bella Union
Bella Union is a British independent record label founded in 1997 by Simon Raymonde and Robin Guthrie of Cocteau Twins. It is now run solely by Raymonde.
History
After releasing records with 4AD for a large part of their career, Cocteau Twin ...
. While the EP was released prior to their debut album, ''
Fleet Foxes'', ''Sun Giant'' was recorded after the LP. ''Sun Giant'' was originally intended to be a tour-only release, but demand from fans led to its official release. Fleet Foxes had stated that ''Sun Giant'' was pressed so that they had something to sell on tour and clarified that the music did not indicate their ambitions. Despite this, the EP met with widespread critical acclaim; it was named the best album of 2008 by ''
Pitchfork
A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials.
The term is also applie ...
'' along with their debut LP.
Background and release
''Sun Giant'' was mostly recorded in January 2008 at
Bear Creek,
Woodinville, Washington
Woodinville is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 13,069 at the 2020 census. It is a part of the Seattle metropolitan area and is east of Bothell. Woodinville has waterfront parks on the Sammamish River, a win ...
. Additional recording was made at the band's house and Stuart Hollerman's Avasti Studio, the latter was also the place where the EP was mixed.
Reception
''Sun Giant'' received widespread acclaim from music critics. ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' said that the EP featured "harmony-rich songs more in keeping with
Crosby, Stills & Nash
Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN) was a folk rock supergroup comprising the American singer-songwriters David Crosby and Stephen Stills and the English-American singer-songwriter Graham Nash. When joined by the Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Youn ...
, a welcome turn away from the agitated dance-rock still so prominent in the indie world."
''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'' gave the EP three-out-of-four stars, and said that "with ramshackle rising-and-falling guitars,
CSNY-style harmonies and the occasional mandolin plink, this five-track EP will make you pine for summer in the country," although the magazine said their songwriting was a bit thin.
''Sun Giant'' peaked at number 170 in the US
''Billboard'' 200 chart.
Track listing
Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Sun Giant'', which also state that: "We all played many an instrument. An itemized and individualized list would be egotistical and tiresome".
*Robin Pecknold
eadvocals, various instruments
ncredited: guitar*Skyler Skjelsetvarious instruments
ncredited: lead guitar, mandolin, vocals*Casey Wescottvarious instruments
ncredited: piano, keyboards, vocals*Christian Wargovarious instruments
ncredited: bass, guitar, vocals*Nicholas Petersonvarious instruments
ncredited: drums, percussion, vocals*
Phil Ekproducer, engineer, mixing
*Ed Brooksmastering
Charts
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Fleet Foxes albums
2008 EPs
Albums produced by Phil Ek
Bella Union EPs
Sub Pop EPs
Albums recorded at Bear Creek Studio