Local Natives: Hummingbird (2LP, 10th anniversary edition, white vinyl with bonus tracks) [FRENCHKISS]

Why you'll love it

This limited 10th anniversary 2LP set on white vinyl comes in a hand-bound book jacket with photos and lyrics, and adds "Palms," "11:11" and "Ingrid." The album reached No. 12 on the Billboard 200.

This edition

• 2LP set
• White vinyl
• 10th anniversary edition
• Limited to 3,000 copies
• Hand-bound book jacket
• Photos and lyrics included
• Bonus tracks

About the album

Some producers are hired after a long search. Aaron Dessner offered himself one night on tour, and Local Natives, having met plenty of other candidates, decided they'd rather work with a friend they respected. So the Los Angeles band, freshly down to a four-piece, moved into the top floors of Dessner's New York home and made the record in the small studio out the back.

Loss runs through it, including the death of Kelcey Ayer's mother, and the band turned that weight into some of their most beautiful songs. "Breakers" and "Heavy Feet" pair big drums with soaring harmonies, "You & I" opens in a hush, "Black Balloons" bursts with nervous energy, "Colombia" aches beautifully, and "Mt. Washington" later found a second life in the video game Life Is Strange. Dessner co-wrote "Heavy Feet," "Breakers" and "Wooly Mammoth," and his light touch lets the band's three-part harmonies do the heavy lifting.

Pitchfork called it a thoughtful, lovely album of small gestures with great rewards. It was made in somebody's back garden, more or less, which is a strong argument for keeping your guest room tidy.

Also at Kops: more Local Natives on vinyl · browse Alternative

Tracklist

Listen

On Frenchkiss (cat# FKR118-1), a reissue of the 2013 album.