Local Natives are a folk-rock group based out of the Silver Lake neighborhood in Los Angeles who’ve released three pretty great records you should check out if you’re into that mid-aughst folk-pop harmony-laden sound that got so big. Their most recent was Sunlit Youth, which came out this past September, and considering one of their biggest songs back in the day when they first came out was “Sun Hands,” it is pretty clear that light has been a theme for this band for a long time.
With that in mind, the band recently hit the Spotify Studios in New York City to record a new version of Sunlit Youth‘s “Fountains Of Youth” — and another surprise cover. Due to his high-profile status, most people are aware by this point that Kanye West was hospitalized earlier this month and that his mental health in general doesn’t seem to be in the best place.
Spurred on by that, and probably other world events, the band shared their own version of West’s extremely uplifting gospel-rap hymn “Ultralight Beam” on Twitter today. “We covered ‘Ultralight Beam’ by Kanye for Spotify in July but need the prayer of peace & serenity now more than ever,” the band wrote.
We covered Ultralight Beam by Kanye for @Spotify in July but need the prayer of peace & serenity now more than everhttps://t.co/NK84DRBeCr
— Local Natives (@localnatives) November 30, 2016
Sh*t if it didn’t work too, because after trying to make his own music while still hospitalized, Kanye is reportedly back home with his family as of this evening.
I’m not saying the cover accomplished that all on its own, but a song is a trick to let the light in, and perhaps this tribute was one of the many rays that helped buoy Ye’s spirits. Take care of yourselves, everybody. Listen below.
