Local Natives, new to the punk scene, look to alter the sounds associated with Los Angeles by bringing influences such as the Beach Boys and Fleet Foxes into the mix.

“Gorilla Manor,” the debut record from Local Natives, distorts the typical beachy and chaotic sounds of Los Angeles, like the ones from No Age, and uses them in new and fun ways to produce a consistent and strong debut release. By introducing complex vocal harmonies alongside the percussion-heavy instrumentation, the record shows new potential for the developing genre of noise-punk, which often focuses on sound instead of vocal melody.

The consistency in the percussion-based music comes as both a strength and weakness for Local Natives. On first listen, many of the songs come across as similar, sometimes even a recycling of earlier tracks. However, the intricacies of each track come out the third or fourth time around.

The percussion on “Shape Shifter” sounds far away and less immediate than other tracks, allowing the harmonies to come forward. These subtle differences in recording style add a layer of depth to the album not often found on other records. The similarities accentuate the obvious variations, such as the quiet piano during “Stranger Thread.”

Vocals set Local Natives apart from other bands. Local Natives often use multiple voices and harmonies to create powerful chords, a technique often found in folk music. In “World News” the band uses lyrics that make it sound as though the song was directly picked out of Brian Wilson’s “Smile.”

Combining harmonies, percussion and subtle variations between songs, “Gorilla Manor” takes a few listens to fully appreciate but is well worth the time.