Local Natives - Time Will Wait For No One (Album Review)
Monday, 17 July 2023
Written by Jack Terry
Photo: Zac Farro
Local Natives have always run on the belief that they can reinvent themselves. For 14 years, the band have consistently found new settings that make sense for their brand of jangly, arty indie-rock, and that largely remains the case on their fifth album, 'Time Will Wait For No One'. The big twist is that they’re happy to indulge in a little bit of self-referential fun at the same time.
Centred on the passage of time, the LP is about taking stock of what you have and making the most of it. Desert Snow hits this note particularly poetically, with the lines "Run while you've got a head start / 'Cause it's a phantom / And it never tires,"urging the listener to live their lives rather than let it pass them by.
Musically, the LA group have tried to invoke each of their previous iterations on one project. You can find the quirks of their debut album 'Gorilla Manor' on NYE, the grandeur of the seminal 'Hummingbird' during the sublime closing number Paradise and the quiet introspection of 2019's 'Violet Street' laced throughout.
As a result 'Time Will Wait For No One' occupies an odd space as a much more situational record than we are used to from Local Natives.
This isn't something to stick on when you're out and about, it is far better served by a good pair of headphones on and drawn blinds. It thrives when the listener gives themselves over to it.
Only then does the ethereal splendour of Hourglass, the bass-riding synth of Paper Lanterns, or the off-kilter indie balladry of Featherweight really start to land. Given the right situation and conditions, 'Time Will Wait For No One' works brilliantly.
At a touch over half an hour, it's not a long time to carve out for yourself to really enjoy this, but Local Natives have made a rod for their own back in urging you to get out and seize the day. As oxymorons go, it's rather beautiful.
Local Natives Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Wed July 26 2023 - PITTSBURGH Pennsylvania - Stage AE (USA)
Tue August 01 2023 - LOS ANGELES California - Ford (USA)
Wed August 02 2023 - LOS ANGELES California - Ford (USA)
Fri August 18 2023 - MINNEAPOLIS Minnesota - First Avenue Minneapolis (USA)
Sat August 19 2023 - MILWAUKEE Wisconsin - Pabst Theater (USA)
Sun August 20 2023 - DETROIT Michigan - Majestic Theatre Detroit (USA)
Tue August 22 2023 - BOSTON Massachusetts - House of Blues Boston (USA)
Thu August 24 2023 - WASHINGTON District Of Columbia - 9:30 Club (USA)
Fri August 25 2023 - WASHINGTON District Of Columbia - 9:30 Club (USA)
Sat August 26 2023 - PITTSBURGH Pennsylvania - Stage AE (USA)
Sun August 27 2023 - PHILADELPHIA Pennsylvania - Franklin Music Hall (USA)
Tue August 29 2023 - NEW YORK New York - Rooftop at Pier 17 (USA)
Fri September 08 2023 - CHICAGO Illinois - Riviera Theatre Chicago (USA)
Sat September 09 2023 - CLEVELAND Ohio - House of Blues Cleveland (USA)
Mon September 11 2023 - COLUMBUS Ohio - Newport Music Hall (USA)
Tue September 12 2023 - NASHVILLE Tennessee - Marathon Music Works (USA)
Wed September 13 2023 - ATLANTA Georgia - Eastern Atlanta (USA)
Fri September 15 2023 - DALLAS Texas - House of Blues Dallas - Complex (USA)
Sat September 16 2023 - AUSTIN Texas - Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheater (USA)
Sun September 17 2023 - TULSA Oklahoma - Cain's Ballroom - Complex (USA)
Tue September 19 2023 - PHOENIX Arizona - Van Buren (USA)
Thu September 21 2023 - DENVER Colorado - Mission Ballroom (USA)
Fri September 22 2023 - SALT LAKE CITY Utah - Depot (USA)
Sat September 23 2023 - BOZEMAN Montana - Elm Bozeman (USA)
Mon September 25 2023 - VANCOUVER British Columbia - Vogue Theatre - BC (Canada)
Tue September 26 2023 - SEATTLE Washington - Paramount Theatre Seattle (USA)
Wed September 27 2023 - FOREST GROVE Oregon - McMenamins Grand Lodge (USA)
Thu September 28 2023 - OAKLAND California - Fox Theater - Oakland (USA)
Sat September 30 2023 - DEL MAR California - Sound (USA)
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