White Winter Hymnal

About the song

Fleet Foxes released “White Winter Hymnal” on their self-titled 2008 debut album. Its opening voices establish an immediately communal sound, with the song’s short form relying on repetition and carefully blended vocal parts.

Sound and arrangement

Guitar, bass and drums support an arrangement in which harmonized singing remains the main source of color. The melody moves with a gentle forward pulse, while the words introduce a less settled atmosphere than the bright sound might suggest.

Listening closely

Listen to the way the voices enter and reinforce one another. Their different positions inside the same phrase give the recording depth without requiring a long instrumental development.