If Fleet Foxes represents the post-Napster generation’s reclamation and reimagining of wide eyed 60’s folk mysticism and the lyrical American pastoral, FF frontman Robin Pecknold is the thing itself. Functioning as a living fakebook of classic American folk-rock, Pecknold’s solo work (frequently performed under the moniker White Antelope) doesn’t put much stock in creation, instead preferring to pay homage through subtle reworkings of timeless classics such as Dylan’s “It Ain’t Me Babe.” Fleet Foxes’ proclivity toward baroque embellishment is strikingly absent in Pecknold’s solo material, both by design and delivery. It’s hard to craft elaborate song structures complete with contrapuntal harmonies when you’re creating songs for voice and acoustic guitar. Besides the physical limitations, Pecknold seems intent on a sparser sound with this material, focusing on the essential elements of a song, rather than on its sonic possibilities. Distillation is a tricky thing, though; when everything else is evaporated off, the resulting spirit is subject to heightened scrutiny. Picking such iconic artists for his solo oeuvre is, in that regard, a risky venture with huge promise. With Throw Me The Statue.

Sat., July 11, 8 p.m., 2009