Later this month, Fleet Foxes will head out on a tour that will keep them busy through the summer, likely unveiling live versions of songs off Helplessness Blues — one of the best albums of the year so far — and perhaps more new material. A few jams off their sophomore LP have been performed live before, though, including Robin Pecknold’s gorgeous existential ode, “Blue Spotted Tail,” which debuted on BBC 6 in ‘09. Aside from a slight key change, that take was kept largely intact for the final studio version floating around the web. You can stream an early rendition of my favorite cut off the new record above.
