Out Today: Local Natives, ON AN ON, Ducktails, and more!
Every Tuesday is album release day (as well as video games, movies, etc.), but on a day so far from the weekend, it's a good feeling to wake up to some brand, spankin' new music.
Local Natives - Hummingbird (Frenchkiss)
Few believed LA indie groovers Local Natives could improve upon the guitar-and-piano-driven minimalist pop of their debut LP Gorilla Manor, but the release of lead single "Breakers" quelled those fears. The rest of Local Natives' sophomore effort Hummingbird expands off of "Breakers"' tight vocal melodies, jangly guitar hooks, and alternating pace to flesh itself out into a diverse and emotionally transparent record that's not only thoughtful but straight up fun.
ON AN ON - Give In (Roll Call)
The long-awaited debut LP from Chicago's ON AN ON (featured in December's Weekly Mouthful) has finally arrived! If the first two singles–"The Hunter" and "Ghosts"–are any indication, this sprawling synth-heavy guitar pop not only explores but takes full command of a varied range of textures, tones, and instrumentation. This is a talented band on the rise, and I predict complete scene takeover by the end of the year.
Ducktails - The Flower Lane (Domino)
If Real Estate guitarist and Ducktails frontman Matthew Mondanile was looking to distance his more electronic side project from the sunny New Jersey pop of his primary pursuit, he's taken the wrong direction with Ducktails' latest effort, The Flower Lane. Fortunately for fans of Real Estate and their lighthearted beach rock, this new record offers much of the same lounge pop gold, in more concise electronic packaging.
Other releases you should check out:
- Tegan & Sara – Heartthrob (Warner)
- Kitty – D.A.I.S.Y. Rage EP (self-released)
- Radar Brothers – Eight (Merge)