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Sweet, sweet harmonies are quickly becoming a standard for indie-pop in the last couple years. Seattle’s Fleet Foxes meets and exceeds this standard on their Sun Giant EP. The EP was sold on tour and digitally through Sub Pop for a few months now, but it will finally receive the proper release it merits in May.

Each song includes minimal instrumentation making the singing even more powerful. The acoustic guitars and soft drumming allow the vocals to hit as hard as any 26” bass drum would. The melodies are sung with such (dare I say it) honesty that every word feels like it deserves analyzing. In the opening title track, Sun Giant, lead vocalist Robin Pecknold sings: “What a life I lead when the sun breaks free/As a giant torn from the clouds.” The words of each song paint a picture while Pecknold‘s delivery evokes a feeling of hope whether it’s the heavenly imagery of Sun Giant or the darker words of Innocent Sun: “Far behind, oh me/The bodies of my friends hanging alone, alone again.”

The music can easily be compared to Crosby, Stills & Nash, The Band or Grizzly Bear. Fleet Foxes evoke bluegrass, country and ’60s pop and created five songs that wouldn’t be categorized in any one of those genres. The EP opens with vocal harmonies that last until 1:27 where the vocals drop out and humming is joined by not-too-elaborate finger picking. From there, the EP continues on the promise of the opening track with hypnotizing melodies and ambient instrumentation. The five tracks, all under 5:00 go by real quick and leave a yearning for more from these Fleet Foxes.