From grunge to mumblecore indie, the Evergreen State is home to some of our country's most popular musicians. Seattle alone has incubated a catalog of legends whose cultural impact is now revered in local museums, like downtown's MoPop. All this being true, it's almost impossible to pick the most iconic Washington song. Should the decision be made based on the artist's overall fame? Should the song be an ode to the state itself?
In the end, I've chosen from my gut. When pouring over old favorites, one song stuck out, evoking the rainy, contemplative days synonymous with Evergreen State winter. That song is "White Winter Hymnal" by Fleet Foxes.
Fleet Foxes is an American folk band that rose to prominence in the aughts. When I first heard their music, I didn't know that the iconic group was homegrown. Fleet Foxes' members are Washington through and through, growing up in Kirkland and finding breakout success at local Emerald City venues.
Nominated for two Grammy awards, Fleet Foxes helped define modern folk, pulling on references to Neil Young and Bob Dylan to craft songs that earned acclaim for their lyricism and haunting melodies.
Their first full-length album, titled after the band and released in 2008, was lauded by critics at The Guardian as "a landmark in American music — an instant classic," catapulting them to new echelons of fame. They acquired a following in the U.S.— performing at Coachella and playing on Saturday Night Live— but were also incredibly popular in Europe.
Of this 2008 record, listeners considered "White Winter Hymnal" the band's best. It remains one of Fleet Foxes' most beloved pieces, showcasing the unique qualities that first drew music lovers to the group.
If you've never heard "White Winter Hymnal" before, you'll still recognize it on your first listen. The song formed a folk-rock blueprint, articulating a style that's been reinvented and riffed on ever since.
With its haunting lyrics, dense sound, and textural production, "White Winter Hymnal" is undoubtedly one of the world's best coffee shop songs. And, as a coffee shop enthusiast myself, that's high praise!
The song's driving rhythm evokes raindrops falling on a window.
And its aesthetic feels quintessentially Northwest, wrested straight from a rocky beach, an austere Eastern Washington landscape, or a foggy Puget Sound forest.
"White Winter Hymnal" is my pick for the most iconic Washington song, but that doesn't mean you might not have an equally good answer!
Immerse yourself in the region that inspired the Evergreen State's best artists by taking a local tour. It might inspire you to produce Washington's newest musical sound.
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