Local Natives have released their third studio album this week amidst mixed reviews. Sunlit Youth (2016), released by Loma Vista Recordings, was preceded by four singles from the album: “Past Lives,” “Villainy,” “Fountain of Youth,” and “Coins.”
The album resonates tones of their past efforts but with the undeniable sound of change. Their new efforts, departing slightly from Gorilla Manor (2010) and Hummingbirds (2013), feel fresh but somewhat forced; to some extent, it seems that Local Natives have chosen the path too oft taken by indie-rock bands in their quest for the new.
