Photo courtesy Scott Newton / KLRU
I was a fan of Local Natives second album Hummingbird, which dropped earlier this year. The album was careful, deliberate, and swelled to anthemic heights repeatedly throughout its eleven tracks; it also garnered widespread acclaim from myriad music publications across the country. And yet, ACL found a way to improve upon this. Local Natives’ songs sounded even better at The Moody Theater last week than they do on record. As soon as the choppy, angular guitar riff that opens “Breakers” burst from the speakers to open the set, I was in disbelief. The production of Hummingbird wasn’t noticeably bad, but this sound mix represented a significant improvement. Each part of the arrangement emerged distinctly and yet never overshadowed other parts.
Photo courtesy Scott Newton / KLRU
Local Natives blew the crowd away Thursday night with incredible stage presence and energy as well as impressive musicianship. The band sounded as good as any band I’ve seen at an ACL taping, approaching the ranks of indie heroes Bon Iver. The group has certainly found success both with their debut Gorilla Manor as well as their most recent effort, but I’m shocked their success has not been even greater. As I watched them, I realized how much there is to like about the band. To take a few points of reference: they possess all the percussive drama of Vampire Weekend, but couple this with the dark, cerebral melodies and riffs of Grizzly Bear. The band’s songs are upbeat enough to listenable but offer plenty to stimulate the mind. As they moved through a set of tracks such as “Mt. Washington,” “Ceilings,” and “You & I,” they showcased these newer songs that best embody this balance.
Photo courtesy Scott Newton / KLRU
However, older favorites made the setlist and still possess an impressive dexterity of arrangement. Local Natives’ cover of Talking Heads’ “Warning Sign” aims to improve upon the original and certainly carves out a notability in its own right. The group’s harmonies and minimalistic live treatment of the song create an arresting and dynamic piece of music. Other older selections included “Airplanes” and explosive closer “Sun Hands.” A stripped down, intimate version of “Who Knows Who Cares” forged a connection with the Austin crowd, whom they thanked profusely for all their support, citing SXSW as a major factor in their career success. I considered myself a devotee of Local Natives before their ACL taping, but now I’m a full-fledged evangelical, and Austin has ACL to thank for the environment that allows artist to sound as impeccable as possible.
