In past reviews of indie rock bands, I’ve done my best to factor in the degree of difficulty. For a genre characterized by dissociation from popular norms, lots of indie bands do atrocious jobs of 1) preventing their songs from sounding the same, and 2) preventing their sound from becoming camouflage against other identical indie bands.

In short, indie rock bands have a heck of a job trying not to sound exactly like each other, and Local Natives have proved to be among a handful of groups to succeed. I’d be lying if I said that there isn’t a sizable bit of repetition to the album (specifically in the melodies of Taylor Rice’s sharp, warm vocals), but all things considered, there’s little not to be enjoyed.

The songs of Hummingbird fluctuate in tempo, another fun factor. A song as smooth and leisurely as Black Spot retains its steadily slow beat while also including a significant buildup, whereas something like Breakers, the following track, lacks buildup, simply jumping right into a quicker beat not unlike a meeting between Band of Horses and Two Door Cinema Club.

But although Local Natives has a steady flow of varying sounds in Hummingbird, it’s not too long before enough is enough. As Rice’s and other members’ vocals are the guiding hands of the Natives, a little more variety in this department would serve them well. Despite the strong instrumental nuances, the vocals are very good at making each song sound similar, which is disheartening, considering what appealing voices are behind the deed.

Local Natives have produced another triumph in many ways, but still suffer a tiny bit from the indie rock curse of sameness. However, this isn’t to say the band’s future is yet set in stone. They’ve plenty of time to experiment.
 

MAX ASAYESH-BROWN, St. Petersburg High