Word: rocke
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...opening track, “For Your Money,” suggests a different direction from what the album actually ends up taking. The Bowie-esque piano intro, relatively abstract lyricism, and Sean Lennon’s fuzzy electric guitar suggest a rock edge the rest of the album simply doesn’t deliver. However, it is certainly an excellent opener, and while the tracks to come are different, they do not necessarily disappoint...
Only when discussing indie rock can two people express their love for artists so completely different as MGMT and Bon Iver and still feel comfortable saying they like the same genre. Yet despite the nebulous nature of the term, the many facets of indie rock are represented on L.A. band Local Natives’ debut LP, “Gorilla Manor,” crafting a well-tailored snapshot of many of the most prevalent and exciting trends in indie music today...
...driving drums pulse under electronica-influenced rim clicks and the determined picking of the guitar line. This drum track is instantly reminiscent of the Dodos and the National, bands that have pioneered the now-popular “big drum” sound pervasive throughout much of indie rock. The bass is melodic, driving the song as much as the guitar. Due to their spaced-out reverb and ethereal interval, the constantly harmonized vocals are reminiscent of Fleet Foxes. The song is comprised of carefully constructed parts that build, then segue seamlessly, always driven by the throbbing drums...
...bouncing off the uninterrupted guitar. One of the vocalists begins singing the melody before the other drapes a gauzy harmony on top. The opening is enchanting enough to repeat for another three minutes, but Local Natives refuse to rest on their laurels. Instead, the song swings into a taut rock groove with punchy electric guitars and a gurgling bass. The drums cut in and out, adding tension and release at the perfect moments and then letting the track build slowly upon itself with each soaring harmony before the ultimate release of blazing guitar and fist pumping high notes. The joyful...
...Gorilla Manor,” Local Natives don’t present anything the audience hasn’t heard before. Instead, they encapsulate the current state of a genre that is characterized by its indefinable nature. This is enjoyable and intelligent indie rock circa 2010, and the album, while nothing new, is still powerful. In its remarkable breadth, the album offers one possible definition of indie music: a music where people can bring sounds together without regard to genre or what these sounds may connote. Local Natives embrace this freedom on “Gorilla Manor...