(Sub Pop) www.subpop.com

Moving from one kind of flannel wearer to another, it seems that Seattle has now officially completed its shift from the capital of grunge to the capital of reverb-heavy roots rock. And that’s a good thing. First there was Band of Horses. Now, Fleet Foxes. Sub Pop’s latest find offers a compelling mixture of folk, pop, roots music and choral singing on its self-titled debut. Picture My Morning Jacket’s Jim James sitting around a campfire with Crosby, Stills and Nash and you’ll get the idea. Fleet Foxes can be beautifully intimate (“White Winter Hymnal”) or create a sound that seems as wide and open as the Plains (“Ragged Wood”). It’s the kind of music that transports you to another place and time. It may only be June, but it appears we already have a winner for 2008’s best new artist. 

Standout Tracks: “White Winter Hymnal,” “Your Protector” HAL BIENSTOCK