Plymouth’s The Native are back with their new single ‘Changes’. It was produced by John Cornfield (Oasis / Stone Roses) and mixed by Grammy Award-winning Adrian Bushby (Everything Everything).
Sam Fender’s positive influence on the UK guitar scene is laid bare in this new single. The infectious jingle-jangle is met with a breathy melancholic vocal in the intro. The injection of Tom Lumley-esque fury not only alters the song’s trajectory, but it also propels the band beyond any feeling of Fender parody.
The dramatic shift in urgency is the perfect sonic to this tale of standing tall. Whilst frontman Charlie Noordewier vocals strike a superstar accord, this record shines because of its gang mentality. Its chest-beating power comes with open arms, join them or be a naysayer, the choice is yours.
The us versus the world aura they conjure is truly intriguing. Most do via escapist riffs or some visceral polemic. The Natives walk the more dangerous tightrope of painting with broad brushstrokes. One way lies The K’s, The Jam, and Oasis, the other direction be the beige of Keane, Foals, and latter-day Coldplay. The Natives, interestingly, sonically have more in common with the latter but, the spirit of the former keeps the edges harder and their lyrics razor sharp. As Noordewier decrees “I can only do so much / I know the world is tired but at least just try”, images of those two tribes coming together formulate poetic images in the mind.