Local Natives

"Breakers"

[Frenchkiss / Infectious; 2012]

By Brendan Frank; October 25, 2012

Purchase at: Insound (Vinyl) | Amazon (MP3 & CD) | iTunes | MOG

It got some flak for its lack of originality back in 2010, but Local Natives’ Gorilla Manor was lovingly crafted, warm, deep and surprisingly mature for a debut album. Three years is a lot of time for a young band to record a follow-up, but “Breakers” makes a good case for the gap. While the bedrock of their sound hasn’t changed much, the tweaks they make bring new oddities into the light. “Breakers” trades in lush vibrations for the wet chime of Foals’ Total Life Forever. In fact, it brings to mind “Spanish Sahara” in the way it builds and intensifies over its runtime. “Let it happen/I can’t let it happen,” croons singer Taylor Rice, embattling the inherent effortlessness gracefully. His band has his back, with an arrangement that’s dutifully refined, upholding the perception of Local Natives as industrious craftsmen.