For the Record - 03/04/10

Local Natives is a new band with a great idea: Borrow successful sounds from current artists and mix them in such a way that gives your band a unique identity. Their debut album, “Gorilla Manor,” released on Feb. 16, is so accessible because the elements of the collective sound are so familiar.

Consider, for instance, the album opener, “Wide Eyes.” At first beautiful, harmonizing and finger picking à la Fleet Foxes, the song transitions to become a ritualistic, tribal romp that brings to mind peer Yeasayer.

And the lyrics match this early, spiritual sound as they harp on the contrast between the purity of heaven and the ubiquitous evil on earth.

“Shape Shifter” and “Airplanes” use vocal layering — clearly resembling Grizzly Bear — to maintain an elegant complexity, but these songs are more structured than those by the Brooklyn native Grizzly Bear. This does not make the Local Natives a better band; it just defines their sound — artfully crafted yet within popular appeal.

There are even more semblances. “Stranger Things” uses simple guitar riffs, string arrangements and emotionally chanted “oh’s” to mimic Arcade Fire; “Sun Hands” borrows upbeat drum taps from the Dodos and cacophonous shouting from Port O’Brien; and “Camera Talk” has similar pacing and transition as Mates of State heading into the chorus. In “Camera Talk,” the lyrics speak about traveling adventures that are common for the college-aged — sipping wine in cafés, visiting churches that are “still in style.”

Unable to explain the experience of travel, the camera talks instead. Indeed, after my study abroad semester, it was always easiest to show pictures. The essence of a place is much better captured visually than through words.

As a young and new band, Local Natives is eager for discovery, eager to live life full of happenings. In “Wide Eyes,” they sing of evil, yet want to see it and experience it for themselves; “Oh, to See it With My Own Eyes” and “Who Knows Who Cares” preach the uncertainty of the future, but, rather than letting this unpredictability become a worry, Local Natives sing, “Who cares?” In the song, life is taken by the horns –— hop into a van and jump into a river, live with reckless abandon!

“Who Knows Who Cares” is the strongest tune on “Gorilla Manor.” I was lucky to witness the Local Natives play the song live in Burlington as an opening act for Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes. It was their set closer and was played with awesome passion. The song starts with a simple guitar riff, tired piano chords and somber vocals, but it is quickly lifted by a beautiful melody led by a string accompaniment. The result is an uplifting pop tune with sweeping lyrics about experiencing life.

The Local Natives have released a strong debut album. I worry, though, as I glance over my review, that they will forever be categorized as a band that borrows rather than a band that creates. Indeed, they have recycled concepts and have assumed ownership, but there is no true innovation. This is a worry. “Who knows” what the future holds? And “who cares?” I won’t … for now.