Gorilla Manor
The Age
Friday February 19, 2010
Local Natives (Liberator Music) ˜…˜…˜…˜…HOW many frontmen can a band sustain? That is the question asked by the LA indie-rock quintet Local Natives. The band's use of three singers €” their keyboardist, Kelcey Ayer, and two guitarists, Ryan Hahn and Taylor Rice €” is their most obvious trademark. It's also, arguably, their biggest asset. On the first couple of listens, this terrific little album can sound like an amalgam between Fleet Foxes and My Morning Jacket, two bands that already have their own musical connotations (and historical influences). But what becomes more obvious as you spend more time with Gorilla Manor is that the band's move to lead with their harmonies is a winning decision. The 12 songs are instrumentally diverse, beginning sometimes with the plucking of a rhythm guitar or a propulsive drumbeat, before becoming all-in singalongs. As the songs reveal their scope and ambition, soon enough the comparisons that spring to mind are loftier, too: think Arcade Fire or even Grizzly Bear. I can't wait to see them parlay this energy and musicianship into a live show. Highly recommended. ANDREW MURFETT
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