The opening track from Laurel Halo’s fantastic third album Dust, is a collection of melodic and rhythmic oddities weaved together to present an alternative listening experience. Her own dizzying vocals, that are present throughout, sound as if they are neither of organic or electronic design. The angular phrases can be tricky to grasp… it is easy to get lost in it all.
In the background hollow synths fade into existence, dart in a direction and fade out again. Intermittent percussion and a variety of beeps propagate through from the start and the effect of all of this creates a cluttered space that is great to wallow in – yet Laurel provides moments of clarity with suspending staccato chords. The soulfulness of the organ gives an impression of gospel influences. The final moments of Sun to Solar give further evidence to this interpretation – the multiple voices that sing in unison, albeit slightly twisted, sound choral in nature.
Laurel Halo has a knack for creating music that’s at home in the club or the living room that has a dash of experimentalism, but I believe here she has given life to something more.