[listen] Local Natives – “Heavy Feet”

Jan 03, 2013

On January 29th, Local Natives will release their sophomore album Hummingbird via Frenchkiss, complete with the above cover art. “Heavy Feet” is the second song we’ve heard, and like the previous “Breakers,” it’s windswept and wearied, but collapse just isn’t an option. “Feet” sees the band earning their indie rock credentials, pumping the song with the resplendent guitar and pianos of Veckamitest-era Grizzly Bear. And their hearts are just as full: Taylor Rice’s Droste-esque vocals build and crest like waves in a storm, returning for a battering hook like a hurricane that can’t quit. “After everything,” he sings over the hook, and its repetition could make him sound like he’s licking his wounds, if everything else didn’t sound so triumphant.