Review: Local Natives @ Hoxton Square, Jan 19th.
Posted by: nick
It looks like it’s going to be a good year for LA’s Local Natives. Their debut album ‘Gorilla Manor’ got its UK release in Nov last year and looks like it’s going to gather steam in 2010 with their new single, the massive ‘Airplanes’, due out March 1st. Then there’s the small matter of a 33 date European tour which kicked off last night with a show at Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen which sold out within minutes.
It was testament to the band’s growing stature too that the usually too cool for school Hoxton crowd was made up of a far higher proportion of genuine fans than we’re usually accustomed to.
There are no real front-men with Local Natives who line up as four across the front and drummer Matt tucked just behind. But speaking to one of the arguable ‘front-men’ Kelcey beforehand he seems understandably excited about playing to the packed out venue. The whole band it turns out share his sentiments and admit their delight at playing to sold out shows in the UK before their album is even out in their home country. Following in the footsteps of the Low Anthem there it would seem.
The band launch into previous single ‘Camera Talk’ at full throttle and hardly let up their intensity all night with tracks like ‘World News’, whose chant along “Oh Oh Oh” chorus signals the real start of the party, and excellent album opener ‘Wide Eyes’ showcasing their infectious mix of Beach Boys harmonies and tribal rhythms rolled out through multiple drummers and Andy Hamm’s bouncing bass. Taylor and Kelcey swap lead vocal duties at regular intervals, each offering a slightly different vocal attraction and then there’s some expertly deft guitar work from Ryan Hahn stage left.
Album tracks ‘Cards and Quarters’ and ‘Shape Shifter’ are lesser known and slow the pace a litle but they’re beautifully delivered and well recieved as a result. ‘Warning Sign’ is without doubt one of the best covers we’ve ever heard live, so much so that there’s a danger that it’ll out shine the band’s own material. Thankfully ‘Airplanes’ and faux set closer ‘Who Knows Who Cares’ manage to outstrip it.
Local Natives know how to work a crowd and it’s encore song ‘Sun Hands’ which is the real show stealer. Or to be more precise it’s two points within that song. The first is the way the band spit out its chorus with such intensity that the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and then the second is at about two and a half minutes when the song moves into Doors like haunting keys territory only to subside for a final rock out that would do Led Zeppelin proud. To echo the words of one passionate and unmistakably British gent in the audience – “What a f**king band!”.
Next up London wise Local Natives take on the comparatively behemoth Heaven in March.
We imagine we’ll see you there.
mp3: Local Natives – Who Knows Who Cares (YSI)
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