After the three founding members originally met in high school, a bassist and a drummer were found, and they all moved to a house in Silver Lake in 2008 to record their album. Their debut album as Local Natives, "Gorilla Manor", was released in the UK on November 2nd, 2009, and saw a US release date of February 16th, 2010. The band's sound has been described as "afropop-influenced guitars with hyperactive drumming and hooky three-part harmonies". They started to attract the attention of the music press after playing nine shows at the 2009 SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. Initial reviews of Local Natives have drawn favourable comparisons to Arcade Fire, Fleet Foxes and Vampire Weekend.
Utilizing lots of vocal harmonies and drifting, dreamlike melodies, Local Natives have an intricate sound based around the delicate interconnectedness of all of their parts. This gives the band a sound that is able to be orchestral while still feeling understated, evoking the carefully assembled pop of Grizzly Bear. Their debut, Gorilla Manor, arrived in 2009 through U.K. label Infectious Records (with a domestic release coming by way of Frenchkiss in 2010). In 2011, Andy Hamm left Local Natives, leaving them to continue on as a quartet. In 2013, the band returned with its sophomore album, Hummingbird, featuring the single "Breakers".
Official website: http://www.localnatives.com
Cubism Dream
Local Natives Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We talked on a small screen
A cubism dream
The most beautiful squares I'd ever seen
The canvas was free
A gift good mother gave to me
We joked at how they talked so differently
It just came and went in the dark
I had changed into the certain kind of man
That could break your heart with his own hands
We were to scan our own towns
And make good on what we found
Oh, what a fool I was to think
That I could get by on a smile and a wink
I make a friend, I make you sick
Could you even imagine a kiss?
We spoke of how we talked so differently
I spoke of how I felt so differently
I will never know what had rot my heart
It just came and went in the dark
I had changed into the certain kind of man
That could break your heart with his own hands
So in australia, on halloween
I proved what our love meant to me
The suffering, the struggling
I did it for you
I did it for me
In Local Natives's song Cubism Dream, the singer recounts a long-distance relationship that appears dreamlike and fragmented, hence the reference to "cubism". The first stanza talks about communicating with a partner who lives across the sea through a small screen, hinting at the limitations and distance of their relationship. The reference to "beautiful squares" suggests that the relationship had some kind of artistic quality or was aesthetically pleasing, even if it was restricted to virtual communication. The canvas mentioned could refer to the blank slate that this relationship represented and how the singer's mother gave him the gift of starting again with this person.
As the song progresses, the singer admits that something changed in him that caused him to become someone who could "break your heart with his own hands". This may suggest that distance and a lack of intimacy in the relationship caused him to become emotionally distant and eventually lose interest. The verse "We were to scan our own towns / And make good on what we found" might be an indication that the singer had to look for other distractions to fill the void created within him. The final stanza talks about the singer's effort to sustain the relationship, even going so far as to suffer and struggle for it, culminating in a Halloween gesture in Australia, which perhaps was not enough to keep the relationship alive.
Overall, Cubism Dream is a somber reflection on the fleeting nature of love and the emotional isolation that distance can bring in a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
She flew across the sea
The singer's loved one traveled a great distance to be with them.
We talked on a small screen
They communicated through technology, likely implying a long distance relationship or friendship.
A cubism dream
A surreal, fragmented experience that may feel disjointed or confusing.
The most beautiful squares I'd ever seen
The imagery and art style of cubism was especially striking and attractive to the artist.
The canvas was free
The artist's mother gave them a blank slate, freedom to pursue their passions without restrictions.
A gift good mother gave to me
The singer is grateful for their mother's support and kindness.
We joked at how they talked so differently
Despite geographical and cultural differences, the singer and their loved one still found ways to make light of their contrasting ways of speaking.
I will never know what had rot my heart
The artist feels uncertain or confused about what caused their emotional pain.
It just came and went in the dark
The hurt and sadness seemed to have struck suddenly and without warning, leaving the artist struggling to cope.
I had changed into the certain kind of man
After experiencing heartache, the artist's personality and behavior shifted in a way they find troubling.
That could break your heart with his own hands
The singer recognizes that they are capable of causing emotional pain, perhaps as a result of their own hurt.
We were to scan our own towns
The artist and someone else were supposed to explore and document their respective environments.
And make good on what we found
The purpose of their exploration was to discover and highlight things of value or interest.
Oh, what a fool I was to think
The singer realizes they made a naive mistake or misjudgment.
That I could get by on a smile and a wink
The singer underestimated the effort and intentionality required to maintain relationships and connection with others.
I make a friend, I make you sick
The artist's actions or behavior in a social context can have negative consequences for others.
Could you even imagine a kiss?
The artist is uncertain or doubtful about the possibility of intimacy or romance with someone they care for.
We spoke of how we talked so differently
Communication and understanding between the singer and their loved one was sometimes affected by their linguistic and cultural disparities.
I spoke of how I felt so differently
The singer shared their unique emotional experiences with the person they were close to.
So in australia, on halloween
The artist performed an act in a specific time and place, likely with personal significance.
I proved what our love meant to me
The artist's actions were a demonstration of their affection and commitment to the person they cared for.
The suffering, the struggling
The artist went through difficult or painful experiences leading up to this moment.
I did it for you
The singer's motivation for their actions was driven by their love for someone else.
I did it for me
At the same time, the artist's actions were also an act of self-discovery and fulfillment.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANDREW JEFFREY HAMM, KELCEY PAUL AYER, MATTHEW JAMES FRAZIER, RYAN CLINTON HAHN, TAYLOR DAVID RICE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jut
on Shape Shifter
Just my opinion, but i think "the king" might be his ego and what he's singing are his internal thoughts.