There are moments of real quality which hint that if more were to come from the collaboration then the results may be fruitful
In trying to play it safe and recreate previous successes, the result is that The Naked And Famous will only fade into obscurity more.
Recorded in London, ‘Utopia Defeated’ is a well-travelled record that borrows from many palettes to paint a splendid picture.
‘Requiem’, for all its attempted restraint, is the most ambitious-sounding GOAT record to date.
‘Remember Us To Life’ goes some way to changing that, but though there are new layers of sound, the album feels too disjointed to really take hold.
Merchandise’s Anglophile influences are still very much apparent on ‘A Corpse Wired For Sound’, but it’s a stepping stone towards something greater.
Where ‘Sistrionix’ was anthemic and immediate in its delivery, ‘Femejism’ is a well-measured affair that improves upon each listen.
Had ‘Wild World’ actually been wild and taken risks then perhaps it could reach the heights hoped, instead we are left with a see-through attempt at stardom that ultimately is crushed by its own weight.
‘Sunlit Youth’ is a celebration of hooks and nuances with a developing sound which suggests Local Natives are more than ready to truly break out into the minds of the masses.
Three years for most artists is an eternity when making their debut LP, but at times it feels like Bizu could have taken longer to create her own identity during ‘A Moment Of Madness’.
