Indigenous Has a Familiar Sound

Given Indigenous’ name and heritage, it wouldn’t be presumptuous to assume that the band’s music would sound like some multicultural hybrid. But in fact, this Native American quartet falls squarely in the tradition that has spawned every guitar-centric band that grew up listening to classic rock.

Born and raised on a reservation in South Dakota, the three siblings (joined in the group by a cousin) learned their musical lessons from old B.B. King, Santana and Jimi Hendrix albums and a dad who was a veteran rock musician. That immersion created a group that’s picked up too many cues from the old masters at the expense of cultivating its own sound.

At the Roxy on Tuesday, Indigenous turned in a clinic in blues-rock mannerisms. Like any band that leans too heavily on decibel-intensive flash, Indigenous is really just a platform for its guitarist frontman. Fleet-fingered and proudly unrestrained, Mato Nanji is clearly a disciple of the late Texas blues-rock guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan. His Stratocaster rang with Vaughan’s thick, plangent tone, and Indigenous’ songs trudged through blues melodies with little subtly or nuance, but lots of volume.

Nanji was so intent on flexing his muscle that the other band members started to seem superfluous after a while. Perhaps he should follow B.B. King’s example and learn that a little restraint goes a long way.