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Local Natives: Hummingbird

Frenchkiss/Infectious

Los Angeles group Local Natives received great acclaim for their debut album Gorilla Manor, which came out in 2009 in the U.K., and in early 2010 in the States. The disc’s lush, pulsating indie rock revealed a band that could evocatively translate dream-like haze into musical form. Their second album, Hummingbird, takes that sensibility to a further extreme, allowing the tracks to expand into opulent soundscapes that rise and fall with orchestral effect. The disc—co-produced by The National guitarist and songwriter Aaron Dessner in Brooklyn—shimmers and resonates, each song aptly blending into the next to urge a cohesive feel throughout. “Breakers,” the first track to be released from the album, is a clear standout, balancing indie pop hooks with spacious sonic grandeur. There’s a lot going on in each number, but the clutter works, shifting to make space and pause when it benefits the song—and the album as a whole.