Across six years and three LPs, Local Natives have evolved from Technicolor indie-rock (2010’s Gorilla Manor) to majestic, major-league alt-rock (2013’s Hummingbird) to the sleek electro-rock of Sunlit Youth, which aims for the arena grandeur of U2 and Coldplay. With their angelic vocal harmonies and soul-baring lyrics, the LA quintet has always felt predestined for a broader stage—but, here, the transition often feels awkward. “Heard they’re still playing songs on the radio,” they note amid the shimmering synths of “Masters,” almost alluding to their mainstream makeover. “Villainy” layers reverb-coated chants over programmed drums and a rote synth loop that wouldn’t disrupt a Katy Perry record; the band reaches peak “Viva la Vida” with “Past Lives,” a tear-jerking avalanche of drums and keys. “I will wait for you/ At the end, love,” Taylor Rice croons—pure catharsis nearly buried by the song’s Windex-ed production. Moments of organic, breezy bliss are littered throughout Sunlit Youth—the soft-rock groove of “Dark Days,” the underwater dub textures of “Jellyfish.” But you have to squint to find them beneath the blinding gloss.