Album Review

Laurel Collective – Vuitton Blues

• 14th May 2008

The Laurel Collective are not ready to be pigeon-holed. Experimental? Check. Indie? Check. Pop? Who knows? Many boxes can be ticked to describe their genre, and this is one of the reasons why Double Six, the Domino Records’ independent offshoot label, must have snapped them up.

Their debut single, ‘Vuitton Blues’ shows plenty of potential. It seems less experimental than some of their other tracks, with some subtle synthes to begin, but buckets of pop bursts throughout. However, it is the vocals from Martin Sakutu and Bob Tollast that carry the track. The ever-pleasing background sound of the hand clap, as always, adds to the upbeat affair.
The track is harmonious, jaunty and an overall indie-pop pleasuredome, fully supporting the current buzz that surrounds The Laurel Collective.

B-side ‘Krypton Factor’ is decidedly slower, but nevertheless equally as interesting. It has more of an edge than its accompanying track, but shows their ambitions-and hopes-are quite rightly high for their upcoming album.