Album, Single and EP Reviews


 

 

  International Love Affair by Laurel Collective


International Love Affair cover art

Artist: Laurel Collective
Title: International Love Affair
Catalogue Number: Double Six Records
Review Format: 45
Release Year: 2008



Much like tomato sauce, there are plentiful variants of indie rock available on the (digital download) shelves. The question is whether this release from the Laurel Collective - a six piece band from London - is Heinz or merely Daddies.

All the usual suspects are there - busy percussion and big guitars - but this time we get harmonies and an infuriatingly hummable keyboard figure. The vocals - even if they did cause me to think that this is what Morrissey would sound like if he had grown some - manage to convey emotion rather than just pretension.

There was also a version of Micachu and the Shapes' "Golden Phone" on the review copy. A creditable choice it was too, bringing an oddball charm to the fore and suggesting that the Laurel Collective could put on the style when required. Well, apart from the distinctly uncomfortable Wham stylee rap bit at the end.

I'll readily give the Laurel Collective credit for putting in the extra effort to make their music stand out from the rest of the indie rock competition. "International Love Affair" is a pretty catchy song but it remains a very crowded marketplace for this sort of thing. Better than Daddies, that's for sure.


www.myspace.com/thelaurelcollective
Reviewer:
Review Date: September 15 2008