Yes I do

L.A.B - IV (2020) ***

Nominated by: GK

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition:  Yes I Do, No Roots

First of all and I struggle to get past it - what's with the name? It makes no sense. It's not an acronym for anything and why punctuate it that way? Stoopid.

Okay, I can move on now. Luckily, it's very easy to like the music made by L.A.B because it's an amalgam of successful antecedents - Motownphilly, reggae and blue eyed soul.

The strengths are obvious - great singer, excellent production, catchy songs, proficient playing. There's nothing much original about it all, instead you can just relax and groove along and it all seems somehow familiar.

The first half of the album is top notch. The second half (from Operator onwards - those disco strings jar and seem out of place) is patchy with only My Baby matching the first 7 songs.

The decision to finish with two versions of one song (Natural) is plain bizarre. It's an okay song - surely it would have been better to leave the acoustic version for a B side of a single or something.

So - mighty fine - three stars for me (that originality thing and the patch second half).

I struggle to differentiate the albums btw - I have the first four and they each travel the same musical road (those influences). Enjoyable fersure, but where to from here for L.A.B? More of the same, I guess - and why not - it clearly has given them a big audience in Aotearoa.

Thanks for a pleasant blissed out week with L.A.B GK.