I don't usually concede this, but sometimes it's better not to read the reviews. There are times when album reviews give a framework with which to appreciate an album, offering context that aids in the enjoyment of music, but sometimes they do just the opposite, robbing an album of its mystique.
That is particularly true of Gorilla Manor, the debut album by the Los Angeles quintet Local Natives. Released stateside this week to warmer reviews than it received in the U.K. last year, the album casts a hell of a spell, but it sounds almost crass and formulaic described in print. What the Local Natives have done here is marry two of indie-rock's defining sounds of the moment: the plucky polyrhythms of Yeasayer/Vampire Weekend/The Dodos and the ethereal folkiness of Fleet Foxes and the like. Lest anybody miss it, they spell out their mission statement on a cover of “Warning Sign,” a track by those pioneers of African-spiced art rock, Talking Heads, reinvented with dreamy, Bon Iver-esque harmonies.
The pairing isn't nearly as calculated as the description suggests, though. There's a genuine sweetness that makes Gorilla Manor connect. With a gentle touch, Local Natives craft their songs around warm, effervescent guitar tones, endearing little moments and big, go-for-the-kill sentiments. On paper, Gorilla Manor's of-the-moment sound reads like a cynical market-share grab, but this one comes from the heart.
