Bursting onto the scene
CD name: ‘Gorilla Manor’Artist: Local NativesGenre: Rock/IndieSounds like: Upbeat Arcade FireSoundwaves: 4.5/5
‘Gorilla Manor’ could be one of the best debut albums 2010 will offer. Funny, considering that it comes from a relatively unknown band. The album proves that the Southern California-based Local Natives offer boldly composed songs and spectacular vocal harmonies. The band’s blend of indie rock is a welcome addition to the melting pot that is the present genre.
Classic and contemporary rock influences are plentiful with this band. Lyrically, Local Natives is associated with the likes of Fleet Foxes or My Morning Jacket. But the sonically unique newcomers bring a mixture of poetic reflections on life throughout ‘Gorilla Manor’ that sets them apart. This is a conscious yet optimistic album from a talented new band that’s not afraid to embrace influences and write wonderful music.
The album opens with the dramatic and rhythmically experimental ‘Wide Eyes.’ The song is an eerie echo of My Morning Jacket with a glossy guitar lick and pounding percussion. But Local Natives keeps things better in balance. The band’s emphasis is on keeping vocal harmonies complementary and within the sonic layers. ‘Airplanes’ starts off like a playful Ben Folds song with a snappy piano and a poppy melody. The band toys with an apologetic ‘I want you back’ theme that suggests youthful immaturity but does well to expose a youthful side. The marching percussion takes hold, and the band rides a dramatic wave to the song’s finish.
Contemporary influences emerge from ‘Sun Hands.’ The tribal rhythms and reverb-heavy guitar licks are especially reminiscent of similarly sounding Guster. Yet the band changes things up in the bridge and breaks into an inspired, triumphant tribal chant. The chaotic guitar work at the end is an all-out sonic attack: remarkable control to hear from such a new band. ‘World News’ is not as captivating as each of the album’s first three songs, yet the Local Natives show off a stunning degree of chemistry in their arrangements of harmony. This is a rare band that needs no alpha-dog lead singer. The group as a whole combines voices exceptionally well. Lead single ‘Camera Talk’ is upbeat and guitar-heavy as one of the catchier songs on the dense first half of ‘Gorilla Manor.’
The album rides along to a smoother pace with ‘Cards & Quarters.’ Various types of tight percussion carry the clean guitar notes and piano keys that color the track. ‘Warning Sign’ is a cover of a Talking Heads song, yet the guitar tone more closely resembles the sunny vibes of Sublime. The piano-driven ‘Who Knows Who Cares’ is equally bright – a brilliant composition that is catchy and undoubtedly a standout track. ‘Cubism Dream’ channels a style of the late Jeff Buckley early on, yet it evolves into a pop song. ‘Stranger Things’ is a sweeping, cinematic epic that blends everything the band has done thus far into one single composition. Final track ‘Sticky Thread’ ends ‘Gorilla Manor’ on a crazy note, resembling what a manor full of gorillas might actually sound like.
Respect goes to Local Natives for learning how to adopt many influences without allowing one to take over. The band is certainly a byproduct of an experimental yet accessible genre that has grown in the last decade. In that time, a number of notable and critically successful indie artists have set up fundamental molds and conventions to follow. Local Natives is proof of those influences, hand-picking the best stencils and filling in the blanks with the band’s own flavors. ‘Gorilla Manor’ is a great success and it establishes a high bar for a talented young band.
Published on March 1, 2010 at 12:00 pm
