After the 2010 release of their debut album “Gorilla Manor,” Los Angeles-based band Local Natives was ascribed quickly to the crowded musical landscape of indie pop. Critics couldn’t help the comparisons; Grizzly Bear-esque soundscapes backing lush Fleet Foxes-style harmonies with a Best Coast vibe. Similarities are, of course, impossible to avoid in this saturated corner of music, but Local Natives performed admirably right out of the gate, crafting a sound all of their own (despite the resemblances) on “Gorilla Manor” that made the group a critical success and solidified its status in a competitive field.

It’s comforting, then, that Local Natives seems to be moving in a similar direction for its second album, this week’s “Hummingbird.” However, all is not the same here. Their signature three-part harmonies have been concentrated from shouty choruses into more sorrowful exclamations and their signature hyperactive percussion has faded into the background, with piano and vocals largely taking the forefront (especially on the albums many ballads). If “Gorilla Manor” was the perfect album for a laid-back California summer, then “Hummingbird” would better befit a rainy New York afternoon. Nonetheless, the band retains its idiosyncratic, lo-fi blend of synths, intriguing percussion and some songs, such as “Bowery,” showcase a characteristic build to a soaring, resonant musical climax.

On songs, such as “Wooly Mammoth” with its soaring echoes or the hand-clap fueled psychedelic riffs of “Breakers,” the band’s California origins do manage to come scorching through the more somber elements of the album. It is a credit to the band’s vocalist Taylor Rice that his almost nasal, child-like voice befits the faster songs just as much as the album’s many slower points (see in particular the haunting refrain in “Colombia”).

It may not be as appealing as “Gorilla Manor” on first listen, but there is a lot happening beneath the surface here: a blending of influences, imagery and melodies that become more rewarding with effort. With “Hummingbird,” Local Natives has made an album that’s likely to keep the band on the festival circuit and in the praises of indie critics everywhere.