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    Local Natives Are The Best Folk Band Going Right Now

    Some of the most beautiful and rustic music being made right now is coming from a bunch of guys in Los Angeles.

    Local Native's music fits in neatly alongside the other woodsy bands of the moment, but they distinguish themselves by never seeming as if they're trying to feign authenticity by appropriating the experience of growing up in the woods with no access to modern culture. (They're actually from Los Angeles.) Their songs are beautiful and resonant, and both fun and serious.

    A good entry point for the band is this song from their 2010 debut album, Gorilla Manor, about the lead singer's relationship with his grandfather. "Airplanes" is easily the best track on the record, thanks in large part to its hooky melodies and an intensely sing-along-able chorus.

    Check out how precisely and perfectly their harmonies line up in this live performance of another track on that album, "World News." Don't even try to tell me this is anything but totally lovely!

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    If you're into that, you'll probably really like their new album, which came out a few weeks back. While it's all totally gorgeous and deeply felt, the best song, "Colombia," is everything you want from this genre: Acoustic, simple music that manages to express a lush sense of romance in a straightforward way.

    Oh, that wasn't enough to make your heart explode with love? (Wait, and if not, are you a human being? Just checking.) Then try out another song from Hummingbird, "You and I," which is somehow both more stripped-down AND more energetic in this outdoor performance:

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    Their new album Hummingbird is out now. Here's a playlist of their best songs so far.