The Daily Spin II

Local Natives | Gorilla Manor

Welcome back to the Daily Spin. For the uninitiated, this is the series in which I review an album every day of 2025.

As was the case two years ago, my favorite song from each album can be found at the playlist linked here.

Album: Gorilla Manor (2010)

Artist: Local Natives

Link:

One of the early proponents of what I consider a very ‘SoCal’ sound, Local Natives have carved out quite the niche within the world of indie pop over the past (almost) two decades - as they’ve collaborated with the people behind acts like The National, Alabama Shakes, and Kacey Musgraves among others, it’s not hard to see how they’ve seen the heights they have as a band.

It’s still fun to go back to where it all started, though - back in 2015, right when I started at Pepperdine, someone I had a rather debilitating crush on recommended this album to me, and it’s amazing how that’ll color your perception of something. Even now, there’s a gauzy sort of sheen over some of the plucky harmonies, the sort of softer edge that comes with gentle memory. It’s pleasant, even if a little contrasting to the punk-ish sound that Gorilla Manor carries.

Half Cold War Kids, half Fleet Foxes, a third half Animal Collective, and a dash of Talking Heads on top of it all, there’s a bit of everything in here, easily morphing, a chameleon people can enjoy. These days, I mostly view Local Natives as one of the most versatile artists, in no small part due to the volume of remixes put out using their original material, but it’s really nice to return to the roots every once in a while and get a taste of the unaltered material.

Rating: 7/10

Best Tracks: Who Knows Who Cares, Airplanes

Worst Tracks: Camera Talk