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Late Review: "Violet Street"

A continuous series about movies, music, books and other arts

By George GomezPublished 4 years ago 7 min read
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Taken from pitchfork.com. All rights reserved. No copyright intended.

In the ever growing music industry, it is often hard to find a specific genre or "sound" that you can really attach yourself to. Record labels, management agencies, and even artists themselves are often doing all they can to stand out from the crowd. Whether it is rappers trying to gain "clout" or lo-fi indie acts trying to make it big, some artists can seem to be attention seeking fiends. With things like antics to political stances bogging down musical artists, a listener can feel overwhelmed.

Los Angeles act Local Natives seems to have figured the puzzle that plagues other bands. Their fourth album titled Violet Street proves to be a cultivation of their songwriting ability and their desire to try out different sounds.

A mark of a true artist(s) is often made by consistency yet a willingness to adapt and grow with their sound. Oftentimes, artists listen too much to outside sources. Whether it is from noise from fans belaying "We want the old (insert name of artist here) back!" or from management in a record label, small and big acts can deal with a lot.

When it comes to reviewing artists, it becomes apparent that at times, there must be a reflection of previous works. How is one supposed to know if said artist grew musically, as an act, as a person etc.? Local Natives' debut album titled Gorilla Manor marks the beginning of a journey for the group. Filled with harmonizing vocals and catchy guitar/bass riffs, the album is one that gives a fun and wild vibe. They are young and brash trying to find their true voice. There are songs with soft piano melodies while others with alternative rock bass lines and guitar riffs.

Their second album, Hummingbird, became a deeper reflection of real life events with a true somber tone. Tracks like "Columbia" and "Black Spot" highlight this notion. These songs reflect the meaning of loss in terms of death, while songs such as "You & I" and "Heavy Feet" are deep tracks about heart loss.

Dark Days, their third album, has hints of their aforementioned lively vibe. It is also intertwined with the dark lyrics yet optimism found on Hummingbird. Their acceptance of their voice and their sound can finally be seen. "Coins", "Everything All at Once", and "Dark Days" are showcases of that maturity. This marks the beginning of the refinement of what Violet Street was to become.

*From here on out, I will be going through each track*.

This is where Violet Street takes all the previous albums and gives listeners an upscale.

The 10 song album begins with a soft opening track titled "Vogue". The piano and strings match heavily with the content. Its lyrics detail a man lost looking for a connection and trying to find it again. Its themes run along to the next track.

"When Am I Gonna Lose You?" showcases the anxiety of a man losing someone. Interviews with the band members detailed that it started out a happy song but slowly turned more and more anxious as they continued to work out the kinks. From there, it ended up being a fast paced song yet with somber lyrics when closely examined. It reflects love and relationships where at times, you may be unsure but you're still willing to take that chance.

"Cafe Amarillo" (my second favorite song off the album) keeps this trend of anxiety and uncertainty. The lyrics reflect a broader sense of anxiety, a sense of what is going in the world and one's own world. It still addresses a sense of longing for a special someone to help put things in perspective. Every single musical instrument comes into their own on this song. The strings in the background, the up-tempo drums, and the vocals are all in-sync with each other. The backup singers helping out lead singers Kelcey Ayer and Taylor Rice are the cherry on top.

"Munich II" is a short instrumental track. Only about a minute and half long on streaming services, it is nearly a 9 minute track on subsequent physical copies of the album (the vinyl version, if I'm not mistaken). It is a nice break from the heavy themes yet upbeat pace of the previous songs.

"Megaton Mile" is the 5th song and third single released off the album. A song about the end of the world in LA, it's upbeat tempo and funky guitar riffs do not reflect the lyrics at all. It is very fast paced with multiple guitar chords and heavy drum beats. The bass has to be the best part of the instrumentals of the song.

"Someday Now" (my favorite song off the album) is another deep reflection on the positions of a relationship. Dreams and promises don't always happen right away so is it wrong to ask someone to wait for you? How long can they wait for? These are the questions the song poses. The instrumental continues on from "Megaton Mile" but slowed down. In fact, there are multiple chord changes in this song. The outro changes progression and starts a new riff. This adds another emotional layer to the song.

"Shy" is the 7th track on the album. This is one of the more unique tracks. It does not really follow the tempo of the rest of songs and does not follow any of the previous themes. An uptempo drum line along with sets of horns only add to this sentiment. According to lead singer Taylor Rice, it's supposed to reflect his own sense of masculinity. Because of this, it sounds fairly distinct when listening track by track.

"Garden of Elysian" is probably the most well-produced track on the album. It is titled after Elysian Park, located right in the heart of L.A. and right by Dodger Stadium. All the instrumentations seem to sound much more grandiose and elegant as compared to the rest of the tracks. This song is one of the more emotionally charged ones on the album. With lyrics that are simple yet powerful, it can be easy to see why. "Love isn't worship, love is change".

"Gulf Shores" can be one of the more interesting songs when looked at in a particular light. It starts off with this piano piece that constitutes the tone of the track. A synth beat comes on sometime after and takes over from there. It also follows themes of loss and what would happen if one would lose someone so close to you. The production on this song stands out the most. The guitar that breaks the chorus from the verse is phenomenal along with the way that the vocals lay over the track.

"Tap Dancer" is the last track of the album. With the last track, both lead singers Kelcey Ayer and Taylor Rice harmonize and sing together for most of it. This is one of the least produced tracks (save for an altered version of the chorus played right after) on the album so that gives off a sense of realness not found on the others. Simple guitar and bass along some drums make up the instrumentations. The lyrics yearn for a simpler time, a point in time "before I knew artificial roses." It is a sad peak to end the emotional and reflective roller coaster that is Violet Street.

Though wonderfully crafted, Violet Street is not without its faults. The most notable flaw is the cohesiveness of the tracks. Some songs such as "Megaton Mile" and "Someday Now" make sense transition wise, but not necessarily thematically. From there, we head into the track "Shy" which adds the disparity. It is the last four tracks that seemed to be bogged down by the disjointedness. In addition, there are multiple tracks in which the lyrics do not really reflect the actual song. Though this allows listeners to really analyze the lyrics, it does seem to overstay its welcome.

Taking notes from greats, Local Natives shows their maturity and their realization that life often comes with a series of emotions.

All the tracks feature a contrast of views, ideas and emotions. Whether it be relief and anxiety, the nostalgia that comes with a person or a place, they all create an oxymoron when taking a listen of Violet Street.

What I took away from this work is this: in life, there is no clear sense of direction sometimes. There will be pit stops and flat tires that may roughen the ride but it's okay to enjoy them. The journey will always be worth it in the end.

Rating: My second favorite album from them. (In all honesty, 8.5/10).

**For those who know me, these guys are one of my favorite bands of all time. Please take some time to listen to their other works, who knows you might like it?**

album reviews
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About the Creator

George Gomez

Screenwriter first, Mexican-American second, Trying to change the world with my words third.

www.gutsfilms.com

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