Laurence And The Slab Boys

Found this in my junk folder and decided to give it a listen. It is really rather good.

PR -
‘Mushroom’ is the debut single by the noise-pop collective, Laurence and the Slab Boys. The single was written and recorded in Berlin by multi-instrumentalist, Larry Reid.
Formalising their union under the moniker Laurence and the Slab Boys, the group is named after Scottish playwright John Byrne’s trilogy, The Slab Boys, which deals with issues such as institutional sectarianism, class-struggle, and mental-illness. Larry explains the curious signature -

“I was born in Paisley, where the plays are set. I read them years ago and thought the title had a nice, ambiguous ring to it. After my last band I wanted no part of music industry, and I tried to create something the music industry would want nothing to do with either. I imagined the "Laurence" part might make things even less accessible. My parents think it’s a stupid name, which is a good sign.”
‘Mushroom’ pulsates into under-lit corners of emotional heft with fears of apocalypse and a Third World War. There’s a hushed vulnerability to Reid’s vocal laments, “I fear we’re gonna die young” he sings, yet as the song ascends there’s a sense that even in adversity there is comfort in togetherness:

“We don’t need to call it romance, let’s just skip the mystery dance. We can watch the mushroom cloud and shelter as the sky falls down”.

Underneath the deceptive simplicity, there is a ghost in the machine: a penchant for spooked minimalism, textural and spatial abstraction which is at the same time wholly listenable. It’s a ghost that allows Reid’s enigmatic lyrics to take centre stage.

With radio support from BBC 6 Music and BBC Radio Scotland, and a recent live debut backing The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, the mushroom cloud looks to be lifting for Laurence and the Slab Boys. 'Mushroom' is taken from the forthcoming album, Lo-Fi Disgrace, set for release on Monday 18th June 2012.