Neon Musical Insight

Review by Caitlin Wittlif

The Local Natives are five guys (and sometimes a lady violinist) from California, which may very well explain the thematic elements of sun and light streaming throughout their debut album, Gorilla Manor. Whatever their reasons for ruminating on brighter matters, they do well not only reflecting them in their lyrics, but in the music, right down to the way they sing. The harmonies in Local Natives’ songs burst through tightly-woven guitar parts and prominent rhythm section, complimenting sunny pop tunes and comforting on darker, dirtier rock pieces.

Gorilla Manor kicks off with “Wide Eyes,” a sweeping, moving song seemingly built for a road trip. It makes complete sense that the band shares its label, Frenchkiss, with The Dodos; sprightly drum-driven tracks can be considered trademarks of both bands. But where The Dodos’ music often feels more stripped and acoustic, Local Natives paint with every color on the palette, creating full, swirling landscapes of gargantuan sounds. In “Wide Eyes,” the guys prove their songwriting know-how, particularly at the quiet verse, “Could it ever be on Earth as it is in heaven?” This delicate thought is left floating through the stratus, as a celestial guitar line wafts up to meet it, before bursting into urgent, electric energy.

“Airplanes” is arguably the best track on the record, and despite its presence in the mp3-blog and mixtape worlds, it does not feel played out here.  The song is about singer/guitarist Kelcey Ayer’s grandfather, who died before he was born. The message of loss and longing is completely relatable, and sung in a simultaneously heartbreaking and sweet way, it encourages the listener to join in at the “I want you back” chorus. When the drummer-boy trills kick in at the second verse, playing with the piano and violin, the song begs for head nodding and toe tapping. Despite the weight of the song’s meaning, the guys also prove their sense of humor, without taking away from their earnestness: the opening boos followed by, “Hey, alright!” will cause a smile to crack, a little reminder-wink to listeners to have fun with it all.

The first sinister-sounding song on the record is “Sun Hands,” with an urgent liveliness to match the determined thought, “I’ll endure the night for the promise of light.” As the tension builds, the Natives treat the listener to an oomph of a payoff; when they all chime in to shout the line, “And when I can’t feel with my sun hands/I promise not to lose her again,” it’s fun and exciting, and leads perfectly into the guitar-riff-losing-its-mind breakdown.

“World News” takes realist themes, and sets them to sunny, breezy music; it’s a great dichotomy of day-to-day drudgery meeting peppy pop-rock. When the band members let loose freewheeling “woo!”s, it makes total sense. It takes the ecstatic energy of being alive, couples it with the suppression of feeling stuck in the things you can’t control, and gives it an improvised release. The song leaves you with the memorable line, “As you think, love that feels so bad makes the good so good;” it’s a hopeful kiss-off as the guys envelop you in “woah”s.

Local Natives are set to play big festivals this year, and the fifth song on the album, “Shape Shifter,” is ready to see that scene. After it picks up the pace, you can practically feel the grass beneath your bare feet, see the contented smiles of your friends as you all stretch out lazily in the grass, watching a beautiful purple-and-gold sunset behind the band as this song merges with it. Even the crashing, chaotic pots-and-pans-falling-downstairs noises that crop up near the end of the song seem fitting in the big, universe-appreciating vibe of it all.

“Camera Talk” is chunkier, with grit and sharp edges as guitar fuzz scrapes over smooth string sounds. The chorus is playful, and the accompanying piano riff makes it feel almost carnival-esque. Most of all, this song is a great reminder that, when musicians make it clear they love what they’re doing, the listener is bound to love it, too. The groups’ shrieks feel like expressions of their enthusiasm, escaping because it’s too strong to be contained.

The sexiest song on Gorilla Manor, hands down, is “Cards And Quarters.” It is slower and sultry, with an almost R&B beat. The pairing of the acoustic and electric guitars adds a Spanish influence, and the heart-melting line, “Steal away/You and me/To a cave/Made of sheets” is simultaneously precious and intense. It is a song that boils and simmers, always keeping the heat just right, never letting off the pressure, but never boiling over, either.

The Talking Heads cover, “Warning Sign,” is performed the way covers should be: it is respectful to the original, but re-imagined to make it seem completely natural among the Local Native-penned tracks on the record. At the chant of “Move my voice,” there is that same humor found in other songs, sincere and plotted.

“Who Knows Who Cares” sounds different from all of the other songs on the album.  It dives the deepest into pop, and seems tailor-made for radio without losing integrity.  The chorus at the end is like a peppier take on Arcade Fire’s “Wake Up,” crashing happily to song’s end.

The wandering guitar parts in “Cubism Dream” recall Deer Tick, and the scat-like vocals are a combination of Jason Mraz and Teitur. Local Natives take this familiar ambiance and make it their own, with harmonies like the ghostly Grizzly Bear, but for the living.  The break of the sound-waves over “I did it for you, I did it for me!” feels both like a confirmation and an excuse, complicating the song’s meaning in an interesting way.  Though this is possibly the only weak song melodically, there are still parts of it to enjoy and admire.

“Stranger Things” is a nice bookend to opener “Wide Eyes.” It is another drum-driven, anthemic tune with “woah”s blasting out over violin and guitars.  Though these similarities exist, they are re-imagined to keep it interesting, and it is so catchy and vibrant that it just makes you want to go, no matter the destination. The tender, calm quiet that breaks back into a full storm of cymbal crashes and heavy drums gives the song a dreamy setting. There is one final, subtle build-up near the song’s end, growing until you are overtaken by instruments and voices.  Finally, the kiss-off of the violin and guitar duet is friendly and charming, like the two voices can be imagined traveling off together.

“Stranger Things” feels like the most appropriate album finisher, but the Natives decided to wind everything down with “Sticky Thread,” an ambient piece that seems to be more of a feeling than a song.  It is sleepy and a little aimless, and though the group’s harmonies still sparkle, it just seems sort of unnecessary after such a strong offering on the previous 11 tracks.

As a first offering, the Local Natives’ Gorilla Manor is an absolute treat; musically stunning, it is fun and rowdy in some places, lush and delicate in others. Having already sold out shows in the UK and generated buzz at last year’s South by Southwest music festival, the Local Natives are poised to break out in a big way. Lucky for us, as this should hopefully guarantee more gorgeous, heartfelt records in the future.

**** / ***** 4 out of 5