Gorilla Manor

Gorilla Manor by Local Natives

Local Natives, a band based out of Los Angeles put out their debut album Gorilla Manor in the UK in late 2009, leaving the US waiting very eagerly for their debut full length which has been very well hyped. Local Natives were a band plugged by Ear Farm as one of the bands to watch in 2009 and one of the bands to explode in 2010, and with an album as strong as Gorilla Manor, they should do just that.

The band has a very catchy sound to them, between their poppy guitar sounds and their creative harmonies, the band creates a unique experience for their listeners throughout the length of the album. The band does a encompassing the sound of a youthful and energetic rock band perfectly with Gorilla Manor by combining the high energy songs with the perfect amount of slower, introspective songs. From the opening riff of "Wide Eyes" the listener becomes hooked into Gorilla Manor and can't seem to let go, which is understandable seeing as they come in strong with their in your face drum beats and chants that seem to echo in your brain throughout the day. The first half of the album continues at this strong pace and keeps it all the way through their insanely unique Talking Heads cover with "Warning Sign". One wouldn't be able to even tell it's a cover of the Talking Heads if they weren't told because of how seamlessly they fit the song to their own mold.

Local Natives do calm just as well as they do fast-paced high energy, something you see in the second half of the album. "Who Knows Who Cares" showcases a different side of the band with a violin in the background and a sweet piano part playing throughout the song, but even towards the end of that song you get an eruption that comes from nowhere of drums and chants that really tops it off perfectly. Local Natives know how to perfectly construct a song and make it interesting to hear what comes up next and where they take the direction of the song. The only song that really stays at a consistent pace throughout it's duration is the albums closer "Sticky Thread" which is consistent with it's slightly slower pace and the familiar chants and harmonies by the members of the band. The sound of Local Natives is hard to put into words because they do so many things at once that one can't truly encompass all parts of their music within an album review.

To put it simple, this album is a very strong start for a band like Local Natives. The band just announced a world tour and has been getting a lot of hype from the big magazines on the indie scene, just as Ear Farm and many other sites expected. Local Natives have erupted within the past year, and hopefully they're here to stay.

Rating: 9/10

Standout Tracks: Wide Eyes, Airplanes, Sun Hands, Shape Shifter