After Hummingbird, Local Natives got busy. In 2013, they played a total of 188 shows, a figure that earned them the title of the hardest working band in the world from NME.

While the instrument-hopping arrangements on Hummingbird were born out of necessity (having lost their bassist an album earlier), after nearly 200 shows they became quite familiar in their skin.

So when they went to record its follow up, they weren’t afraid to push boundaries and adopt new sonic palettes. They knew what their voice sounded like.

Which is good news, because Sunlit Youth is a massive departure.

So massive in fact that tons of people treated it like a flop. One of my most frequent debates in 2016 was whether or not Sunlit Youth was a good record. Even Pitchfork, who held the first two records in high acclaim, gave it a scathing 6.3 out of 10, calling it a neon facelift.

And honestly, I understand the criticism. The advance singles were laden with drum machines and synthesizers—a far cry from the jittery electric guitars, bouncing piano chords, and frenetic drum performances of their earlier work. “Coins” sounded almost like a Jack Johnson ripoff, which is a little underwhelming.

When the record first came out, I too was a bit put off at the shift in color palette. Hundreds of indie rockers have made pop records, but Local Natives were just so good at what they did. Wrapping their songwriting in a synthy sheen seemed like a waste.

But the more I listened to the record, the more the core of the Local Natives’ voice started to come through. The wide-eyed, sentimental optimism that covered Gorilla Manor is still here, wrapped up in the same heart-aching melodicism and larger-than-life harmonies as always. The interplay between the members has always been inventive, and Sunlit Youth is no exception even though they’ve added a number of new tools to their arsenal—but switching instruments is old hat to them by now.

Despite whatever left turns or leaps they make here, this is still unmistakably Local Natives. And as expected, every song is absolutely beautiful.

Those bemoaning the loss of their indie rock edge will be satisfied by the crashing chords of “Past Lives,” the skittering beats of the Little Dragons-produced “Jellyfish,” and the epic swell of “Everything All at Once.” Even so, dismissing this record as a boring pop album is to completely ignore the brilliance of songs like “Dark Days” (featuring Nina Persson of the Cardigans), “Fountains of Youth,” both of which stand toe-to-toe with the most celebrated tracks in their catalog.

After two albums that cemented their reputation as undisputed indie rock darlings, a decidedly pop record is a bold move. Hell, any follow up to a beloved record is a bold move. Fans will complain about it if it’s too much like the record before, or if it’s too different—and there has been no shortage of complaints about Sunlit Youth. 

But despite all the talk about losing their edge or selling out or being uninspired, this is a beautiful record. Local Natives managed to create a record that sounds like nothing they’ve done before, while simultaneously sounds like no one else.