Los Angeles - During Local Natives’ live performance last Friday night, at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, singer and guitarist Taylor Rice stated that L.A. is the best place right now in the world. After all, the five-piece indie act originated in Silverlake, but surely he’s not biased, seeing as he and his bandmates have traveled all around the world. Local Natives’ sound palate has always captured a very L.A. vibe, without ever trying too hard. The group, which consists of Rice (vocals, guitar), Kelcey Ayer (vocals, keys, guitar), Ryan Hahn (guitar, vocals), Matt Frazier (drums), and Nik Ewinglong (bass), recently relased its long awaited third record, Sunlit Youth (Loma Vista Recordings), which finds the five-piece showcasing its raw skills and evolving musical talents over the course of twelve gorgeous tracks.
Over the span of three unique albums, the band has kept things fresh. The transition from debut record Gorilla Manor to sophomore effort Hummingbird was a monumental change in direction, but the members of Local Natives were simply crafting music they wanted to make. The beautiful Hummingbird, filled with delicate arrangements, spiritual undertones, and a melancholy sound, was released in 2013. The album allowed Local Natives to position itself into an elite category of rock bands. With Sunlit Youth, you still have that overwhelming expressive one-two emotional punch from the band, yet the sonic scope is expanded even further. Sunlit Youth has the band taking ambitious risks, with wonderful results which were clear during the band’s incredible 18 song performance, that left enthusiastic L.A. fans feeling an air of electricity!
Charlotte Day Wilson opened the night with a lovely set of jazzy, eclectic songs, showcasing her strong vocal chops. She definitely felt the love from those in attendance. However, the roar that came from the crowd when Local Natives walked onto stage was unmatched. The L.A. boys drew a huge standing ovation, and in return, they welcomed the audience with “Past Lives.” This phenomenal studio track transition exceptionally well on a live stage. Lyrically, the song is what we’ve come to expect and love from Local Natives: it’s reflective, emotionally driven, thought provoking, and features vocal harmonies from Rice and Ayer. Local Natives followed with another one off the new record, “Psycho Lovers,” which is another prime example of the band making good use of electronics without going overboard. The balance of synths and guitars blanketed underneath warm vocals and strong lyrics proves for a winning combination.
Though it was an idyllic September night, with the slightly crisp autumn air, things definitely heated up with the excitement of the fervent crowd. When Local Natives went into its third song, “Wide Eyes,” the audience went wild. “Wide Eyes” was one of the more popular songs from Gorilla Manor. The crowd sang along word for word throughout the jam. Older tunes, like “Wide Eyes,” came across as new again – no surpise, as the band has continued to show a wealth of knowledge and progression over the course of its career. As expected, fans were clearly excited when the band’s more well-known songs were played, but love was received for the new tracks too, which comprised half the set.
“Villainy,” the band’s second single had tight snyths, slick guitars, and terrific vocals coming from both Rice and the third vocalist of the group, Ryan Hahn. This track specifically had the discernible shift Local Natives has taken with its newer material. The bouncy, sprawling tune was a strong showcase for the band’s artistic and creative talents and proved the band’s renewed approach was the right course of action. Despite just releasing Sunlit Youth a week prior to the show, hardcore fans already knew the lyrics to the majority of songs. A mighty cheer erupted during the “Fountain of Youth” with the mention of a female president. A strong roar also came from the crowd when the band performed “Masters” and sang “Unafraid to call yourself a feminist.”
For “Dark Days,” Local Natives surprised the audience with special guest Nina Persson, who appears on the studio version of the song. The last tune before the encore was “Who Knows, Who Cares,” which seemed to be the crowd’s favorite song of the night. Once again, people passionately sang along, word for word. It was evident Rice was ecstatic and deeply moved by the audience’s overwhelming reception to “Who Knows, Who Cares.” Afterward, as the crowd pleaded and chanted for an encore, Local Natives returned with two final tracks: “Sea of Years” and “Sun Hands.” The former is an outstanding track from the new album, which I strongly believe is one of the best songs across all three albums, with its grand questions, digging deeper than ever before, molded into mesmerizing sonic changes. The final song of the night, from the band’s debut album, had the crowd buzzing and clamoring for more. Local Natives’ L.A. show was completely enchanting and utterly gripping! The band captivated the large crowd down to the very last second.
Local Natives is currently on a nationwide tour in support of Sunlit Youth, and with this album, first on a major label, the band can only go up from here, right? It may still be too early to tell with the ever-so-changing music industry, but if any one group deserves the praise, recognition, and the big shout-out (perhaps for radio play/television spots/movie trailers, etc.), it’s certainly Local Natives. The band has done its part exceedingly well.
Sunlit Youth is available for purchase digitally on iTunes or on vinyl and/or CD through the band’s webstore. Local Natives is about to head off on a Fall tour. A full list of dates can be found on the band’s Facebook page.
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Photo Credit: Renata Raksha
Sean Kayden
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