With a modified line-up – Luke O’Farrell (guitar, vocals) and Piers Cornelius (guitar, vocals) are now joined by new members Kat Harley (bass, vocals) and Ben James (drums) – Australia’s The Laurels are back with their third full-length album, which bears the telling title Homecoming. The 4-piece plays a bewitching mix of shoegaze and psych rock, with dreamy vocals, rolling guitar melodies and dense synth soundscapes. As a sort of fifth member, producer Lachlan Mitchell provided composition ideas and extra instrumentation, making the record more layered than the previous work of the band. In 10 original songs – almost 50 minutes – the gripping sound puts you in a kind of intoxication, and that’s a good thing in this case.
Homecoming is out now digitally and (soon) on vinyl LP through Third Eye Stimuli Records.