Clash Music

There’s something slightly pretentious about having the term “collective” in your band name.

What’s wrong with simple being a band or a group? Perhaps The Laurel Collective wanted to emphasise their cultural diversity, consisting, as they do, of members from Britain, Nigeria and Italy. It’s a melting pot that is reflected in their debut single, which initially seems assuredly indie but gradually reveals a certain funkiness via a taut, soft riff. Yet the song, with its big chanting chorus and soaring melodies occupying the acceptable middle ground between Radiohead and The Cribs, is ultimately defined by its Englishness.