Local Natives Invade Governor's Island
- Author: Min-Q Kim
- Posted on: Tuesday August 10, 2010 at 12:00 PM
- Filed under: music, local natives, frenchkiss records, gorilla manor, governor's island, exclusive
Photo by Wendy Redfern
Los Angeles five-piece Local Natives' star is rising at a meteoric rate. Their debut album, Gorilla Manor, was released in the States via Frenchkiss Records in February, 2010, and by May, David Byrne was in attendance at their Bowery show in New York, bobbing his head to the band covering one of his songs ("Warning Sign" by Talking Heads). Cut to August, and it seems New York has decided that if they're good enough for David Byrne, they're good enough for us: their show at Governor's Island was a scalpers-out-front sellout.
Live, they absolutely bombarded the senses with powerful harmonies and propulsive rhythms; it was hypnotic and primal and gorgeous. When Kelcey Ayer's (keyboardist) vocals mixed with Taylor Rice (guitarist / mustache cred) and Ryan Hahn's (guitarist), the rich harmonies were a stacked wall of sound that washed over the enraptured crowd. Then, suddenly and without warning, Ayer's voice would launch somewhere into the stratosphere, and it felt like the entire island was being lifted out of the water. Set to a backdrop of the glittering New York City skyline under a big open sky, it's difficult to imagine Local Natives' towering sound in any lesser setting.
Photo courtesy Diana Wong / DianaWongPhoto.blogspot.com
"Airplanes":
The album, Gorilla Manor, is worth a listen to say the least. It is, at times, haunting, soaring, stark, rich -- all of it epic, wonderful. Each song seems to zig and zag its way up to a resolution that is the musical equivalent of reaching a snow-covered mountaintop, waves crashing below, arms raised to the sky. There are revelatory moments at every turn on this record, where the heavens open up, the only word you hear is "Ah," in exquisite three-part harmony, and everything seems to make perfect sense.
Exhibit A: "World News."
Visit Local Natives on their space, and their site.
RELATED CONTENT
COMMENTS
“ It has a cool beat with so many different musical instruments working at the same time to produce a syncopy. ”
“ It has a cool beat with so many different musical instruments working at the same time to produce a syncopy. ”
