 | Tracklist:
1. Wide Eyes
2. Airplanes
3. Sun Hands
4. World News
5. Shape Shifter
6. Camera Talk
7. Cards And Quarters
8. Warning Sign
9. Who Knows Who Cares
10. Cubism Dream
11. Stranger Things
12. Sticky Thread
| Ranking: #119 for 2009 | |
|
On 63 Lists
|
Nobody likes coming late to a party. I don’t mean fashionably late, where everyone is just starting to have fun and there’s no lull. No; I mean the kind of late where you show up and everyone is too ***faced to function and all the best looking girls are taken. Case in point: St. Patrick’s Day 2009, I was stuck at a cash register until ten o’clock, and by the time I got to the party, everyone had just awoken from a “nap” (ie. passed out). When songs from Local Natives’ debut album Gorilla Manor began to appear on the internet, there was a danger that the band was simply going to come late to the party– all the indie kids would be passed out from their rye and Fleet Foxes (commonly known as a “Sun Giant”) or their gin and Veckatimests. Shades of Pecknold’s delicate yet forceful vocals and Grizzly Bear’s arrangement and composition style, are very clear markers of influence for the band. There’s a thin line in between influence, reference and rip-off. Local Natives come very close to the latter, but one thing keeps it from being rejected by the masses as artificial (because indie is so original): it’s so damn likeable.
There’s a vibrancy in these twelve tracks, hiding in every drum roll and bass rhythm. It’s a vibrancy that carries the album to heights that surprise the listener. Everything about the band seems so common, and yet the album has a treasure trove of tasty hooks. “The cistern is not even full,” states the main hook on the excellent reggae-via-garage rocker “Camera Talk”, somewhat ironic of an album jam packed with kinetic energy. It makes sense then, that the band decided to take on the elastic bass lines of the Talking Heads song “Warning Sign”. It works wonderfully well too, embodying the sense of fun that perpetuates from every memorable line on the album. Only closer “Sticky Thread” takes things down a notch, and unfortunately it feels unearned. The song loses the energy present in the better moments of the album and drags the end to a halt. It doesn’t necessarily ruin the album, which works surprisingly well as a cohesive unit with the amount of single oriented songs available and the unwavering tempo.
So Gorilla Manor triumphs in the sense that the listener doesn’t mind the lack of originality. Local Natives have branded a likeable mix of indie-rock and folk with an energetic core. With a rhythm section that can transition from slow groove to bombast at the flip of a switch, it’s easy to see where this energy comes from. Add in some harmony laden vocals (though there is better) and we have the blogospheres new darlings. Whether these ironically off-kilter (just look at the album art) L.A. rockers can maintain the nice bit of momentum started here, remains to be seen. For now we can sit back and enjoy the party. Let’s worry about the hangover tomorrow.
|
Album Rating: 4
ugh, should've been done this awhile ago. Stupid real life and its stupid essays.
I really like this yeah, but it was so hard to write anything about this album. Essay hangover I guess. Speaking of which, I drank way too much for my birthday last night, but sexy girls are worth it.
Digging: Andrew Bird - Break It Yourself Digging: Andrew Bird - Break It Yourself |
| |
Album Rating: 3.5
saw these guys last night actually, pretty fun show. the stand outs on this rule and i love listening to them on their own or to parts of the album in spurts but as a whole it just feels a bit tedious and a lot of it blends together.
Digging: Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music Digging: Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music |
| |
this looked to me like unsubstantiated pitchfork hype when I saw it, so I didn't look into it.
Digging: Mount Eerie - Clear Moon
|
| |
Album Rating: 4
^ Pretty true tbh. But I liked this a lot more then I thought... plus it was NPR hype that got me to listen to it, so I claim not to be jumping on p4k bandwagons.
|
| |
I like this review a lot.
mm hmmmm.
Digging: Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music Digging: Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music
|
| |
Album Rating: 3.5
this looked to me like unsubstantiated pitchfork hype when I saw it, so I didn't look into it.
weirdly enough, these guys actually got a lot bigger in europe when this was released like half a year ago, so i'm surprised pitchfork didn't actually get on to it until now.
|
| |
p4k is late for a lot of things.
I think they've been trying to remove themselves from the hype more recently as they've gotten bigger. Releasing reviews way after the swell settles so as not to "forkify" the band I guess.
|
| |
Album Rating: 4
The review is good. I totally agree that they barely shy away from being a ripoff.
I think that they are destined for a brilliant album. This was great, but they have many avenues to pursue. If they choose the right path, then I'm definitely excited for the future.
|
| |
Album Rating: 3.5
i agree about that, they definitely have a terrific album in them. i particularly love the vocalist(s?), songs like 'who knows who cares' are so smoooooth.
this just falls a bit too safely in the midst of the retro/chamber-pop revival
|
| |
Album Rating: 4
123
I really love Camera Talk and their cover of Warning Sign.
|
| |
Album Rating: 3
Good stuff man.
pos; I am going to find this now.
Digging: fun. - Some Nights Digging: fun. - Some Nights |
| |
Album Rating: 2.5
this is pretty sweet... like a less subtle veckatimest.
Digging: Pond (AU) - Beard, Wives, Denim |
| |
Album Rating: 4
Mmm yes, I quite enjoy this review.
|
| |
cavil at rest > local natives
at least of what i heard from each
i should probably get this cd either way
|
| |
Album Rating: 3.5
Yeah it's kind of familiar, but I really like it. I'm eager to see what they come up with next.
Digging: Andrew Bird - Break It Yourself |
| |
Album Rating: 4
Probably going to bump this very soon, i just can't stop thinking about Grizzly Bear and Fleet Foxes while listening to this!
Its got some very strong tracks and some really great moments.
okay bumped it, damn.
|
| |
Okay so wow
Airplanes is holy fuck kinds of good
In my top 5 songs of the year.
Digging: Kate Miller-Heidke - Nightflight
|
| |
Good review, pos. My friend is nuts about this album. I've been convinced to check it out.
Digging: Hop Along - Get Disowned Digging: Hop Along - Get Disowned
|
| |
Album Rating: 4.5
top 5 for 2010 as of today. Simply gorgeous.
|
| |
wide eyes is fucking awesome
|
| |
|
|
Stumble
Digg
Twitter
Del.icio.us
