Laurel Collective - Heartbeat Underground (CD, Vinyl LP)

Laurel Collective first emerged in 2008 with a mini album and two singles on Domino offshoot Double Six. Since then, further singles for Pure Groove and Kruger lead them to the attention of Tape Club, for whom they are now set to release their debut album ‘Heartbeat Underground’. Laurel Collective are fond of close harmonies, closer squelch, and pop hooks you could hang huge, winter coats off. They seem to spring from a point where, lit by a warm, spring sun, The Flaming Lips left off, and jumped free. They also have two frontmen, and an album full of songs about fizzing blood and barnacles, wind-up Japanese toys and jelly birds, yellow moons and droids, songs that are so radio-friendly they're practically hugging the airwaves. ‘Heartbeat Underground’s shimmering titular album opener is a nod in the rhythmic direction of Grizzly Bear and later LCD Soundsystem.  Blissful ‘Sunshine Buddy’ follows with ooh-ahhs, wahs and even bahs before it’s possessed by a psychedielic freakout. ‘They Hate Me’ and upcoming single ‘Fax Of Death’ fizz, gurgle and shimmer while tracks such as ‘Window’ and ‘Cheap’ are works of discordant, electronic madness.

The album ends with the two-part ‘Fizzing Blood’ where zither samples and sub-bass drive us towards the dead air. Laurel Collective are a little strange, a little peculiar, and pop music incarnate, epitomising intelligent music at its best: a witty, diverse and modern take on the indie genre. They also  curate their own “boutique” festival, named In The Woods, through which they have brought to the world’s attention the likes of Micachu And The Shapes, Pete And The Pirates, and a beguiling young woman called Anna Calvi. Reviews are confirmed to run in Artrocker, Time Out, The Fly, Stool Pigeon, Q, and Clash. Recent and forthcoming radio exposure includes playlisting, a live session and “Artist In Residence” feature on XFM, and Radio 1 plays from Huw Stephens and Rob Da Bank. “If you imagine Metronomy as the uncle of 2011’s bizarre pop uprising, Laurel Collective are undoubtedly a disobedient, prep-schooled cousin; their music a well organized chaos of bleeps, melodies and arrangements in disarray. A beautiful disorder from a frantically exciting young band.” - The Fly … “A suitably LSD-coated dose of manga-pop. Beautifully mental.” – Artrocker … “Joyous guitar-driven pop” – Notion.

Tracklist:

01. Heartbeat Underground   02. They Hate Me   03. Sunshine Buddy   04. Fax Of Death   05. Jelly Bird   06. Cheap   07. Window   08. Alabaster   09. Flame Thrower   10. Barnacles   11. Fizzing Blood

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