Gorilla Manor

Local Natives are worthy of your attention

If you know nothing or almost nothing about the Californian band Local Natives, there is no wonder. This indie-rock outfit is only taking its first steps on the big stage and has recently delivered its debut full-length record called Gorilla Manor. There will be no wonder either that soon many more people will known much more about these guys. And the reason is that their first long player comes up to all the standards of a classy album whose flaws are so insignificant that it’s a sheer waste of time talking about them. Before presenting their first big work to a wide public, the musicians took time to share some information about themselves through the press being very cordial to them. Besides, the five young men followed the path taken by many other performers and revealed a part of their music and ideas on-line, which also warmed up the attention to their coming-up debut CD. In the end, late in the winter of 2010, Gorilla Manor found itself in the ocean of the world music market. This is the perfect moment to take a closer look at this work as well as at its makers.

A summer February or Californian indie-rock

The Local Natives debut CD features twelve tracks made in the vein of indie-rock music with the Californian singular flavor. The record greets you with the thick sounding of Wide Eyes overfilled with dynamite-like percussions. It is a song to wake you up after the longest winter deepest sleep. The following Airplanes surprises with grunting and spitting and other ‘sonic effects’ from all the members of Local Natives. Yet the main trick to find here is the piano work. It will be clear later that this is the instrument to shape the uniqueness of the band’s style. As you’re getting closer to the middle of the record, it will grow more and more interesting to you. Right in the heart of the album, you will discover the group’s biggest hit so far, Camera Talk. The arrangements are executed in such a way that you will feel like attending a string orchestra concert until you are crushed by the monolith wall of distorted guitars. You are highly likely to want to heart it once again after you are through the first time. There is a sensation that the musicians are so much into what they are doing that their own emotions sometimes become uncontrollable. For instance, Who Knows Who Cares might sound softer and quieter, but for the deranged drums. This charge of insanity is taken over by Cubism Dream speeding blindingly to its own ending. You are first amazed at the energy these guys find and share at time like this; and then you understand that the Californian winter has little to do with real winter.

An exemplary debut

If you listen to the first album by Local Natives analyzing musical structures and technical structures in order to find likeliness with other performers, you will definitely succeed. After all, indie-rock was not made up yesterday. However, music is not only about patterns and techniques, but also about mood, spirit and atmosphere. Gorilla Manor has it all in original, authentic form. It is a very energetic, summer-like, album full of vibe. The tracks here are placed so properly and harmonically that it is now hard to imagine them in a different order. Another good thing about this band is that the musicians worked hard not only on the sounding of each instrument, but on the lyrics too. Doing fine without sophisticated and incomprehensible images and stylistic devices, they wrote meaningful verses mostly focused on soul-searching. If things keep on going like this, indie-rock made in California will soon form a separate musical trend. Of course, it is too early to talk about this, but already now one has to admit that we are witnessing the establishing of a very original, interesting band with a simple and catchy title, Local Natives.