Download: Local Natives “Sun Hands”

(from Gorilla Manor out now on Frenchkiss)

Anyone familiar with Local Natives is going to recognize most if not all the tracks on their full-length, which for this band (and their very commited local fans) is perfect. Now you can hear every single detail of every single song—like on signature “Sun Hands,” where each harmony, each guitar riff and each drum tap adds up to one pristine piece of music. Like an old classic rock album, each song blends into the next—a streamlined effect that doesn’t happen too often and enhances the overall effect. It’s calm enough to listen to when you need to relax but uplifting enough to get you out of your seat and dance like the rest of the world doesn’t matter. Each song feels like a new rejuvenating life lesson without excruciating therapy or a long-winded book: “Why does the soul hallucinate / I’ve got control / I shift my shape … ” Manor includes their cover of “Warning Sign” (originally by Talking Heads) which puts new passion in the song with soft harmonies and rousing shouting and guitar scratching. The album ends with beautiful violin riffs, light piano and an appropriate almost cinematic fade-out.
—Britt Witt