Originally posted on Noise Cannon: http://noisecannon.com/2014/03/13/natives-indoor-war/
From playing in front of empty bars to then gaining the support of Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe, New Forest band Natives have been working hard in the studio to produce debut album Indoor War. Set for release on March 17 the album centres on a character named Alvima who decides to ditch emotion and live his life on logic and science alone after suffering a huge loss.
Guitarist Jack Fairbrother claims that “it’s fairly simple to write music which is instantly infectious and I also think it’s equally simple to write music so personal that it reads like a diary and feels deeply profound.” This certainly shines through Indoor War with a collection of catchy hooks and good beats to get your feet tapping. ‘Can’t Say No’ is certainly one of these tracks with a captivating energy that listeners will find easy to sing along and relate to. While ensuing a primarily pop punk vibe there is an essence of something a little different in this album. It hinges towards an extra hint of rock in different forms with the odd few guitar riffs that tend to be heard at the hands of light and balmy indie bands. These riffs however are utilised in such a way to suit the pop rock vibe of Natives while demonstrating a wider angle in their sound. ‘L.O.V.E’ for example starts off with a strong air of pop yet the rock side of the band does creep out in little segments. In relation to the character Alvima, the band have said themselves that “half way through the album there is this moment where he just lets it all out and embraces emotion” and this is most probably that point, in case the song title didn’t give it away. In contrast to the previous pop outburst, following track ‘Big Plans’ is much heavier in its approach and so marks the start of a revival in Alvima’s character, which develops through to final track ‘For Everything’.
Natives have nailed a consistent narrative rich in energy with a little slice of diversity resulting in Indoor War which serves as a debut album that some bands may only dream of. It is only fair to say then that Fairbrother wasn’t just being cocky when he said writing this kind of music was “fairly simple”.
SAMANTHA MAE 