So, the request from Steve was to compare and contrast Fountains of Wayne with Local Natives - Gorilla Manor. First I had to listen to the new Fountains of Wayne album. I am pleased to report it is another solid offering from them. Straightforward, 4/4 pop, clever songwriting (they name check Steve Perry ), catchy hooks, angular vocals. It is all you can ask for in this genre.
With the amount of skill and craft that they have exhibited over the years, I feel they are coasting a bit. There comes a point in time when the music needs to move on and grow. If this is your first Fountains of Wayne album, great, enjoy it. I already have two, so I'll just put this in my Rdio collection and stream it.
A good compare and contrast for these guys would be Cheap Trick or They Might Be Giants. They have a surprising amount of similarities, the heavy Beatles influence, a power pop vibe. It's upbeat and swings. It is easy to like.
Local Natives are building different songs. Their compositions have multiple layers. The melody moves between instruments with the vocals as just another instrument. Their lyrics are quieter and more obscure. They don't point at their cleverness.
They reside in the genre with Elbow, though nowhere as good, probably closer to Beirut and Bombay Bicyle Club, not as dark as The Besnard Lakes or The National. It's more of a symphonic approach to pop music than the standard guitar, bass, drum piano approach.
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