Labour & Love: Demos

I'm not often one for providing exclusives - indeed, with my current record on posting I can't even claim to be remotely current, let alone cutting-edge - but it seems that on occasion I can actually offer you music before anybody else. One of the joys of being a music blogger is the ratio of Work-Put-In versus Free-Stuff-Received-In-The-Hope-That-I'll-Review-It, and every so often that free stuff takes the form of extremely hot-off-the-press demos. The latest addition to that pile on my desk(top) came from Labour & Love, a band so new they haven't even had a full rehearsal yet. How's that for an exclusive?

This kind of demo - post-songwriting but pre-arranging - is quite often scrappy and rough-as-a-bear's-arse^[1], and Labour & Love's CD is certainly no exception. However, what it lacks in polish and focus it makes up for in spades with the quality of the songs held within. There's an air of maturity and sophistication here that speaks volumes about where this band are headed. In fact I'm in danger of sounding like an effusive fanboy; this set of songs, even in this rough setting, really stand out as something special.

Since receiving this demo I've heard that the band have started rehearsing and are gearing up for a summer season of gigs, armed with a sound that is somewhat akin to "The Replacements doing Johnny Cash covers in the style of The Grateful Dead". I can easily see these guys riding the "Nu-Folk" wave popularised lately by Mumford & Sons and their ilk, but there's quite a bit more to Labour & Love than simple bandwaggoning^[2]. There's a deeper current running here, one that speaks of a richer heritage and wider artistic base than can be claimed by the current crop of folkie scenesters. There's the bite of a vintage Fender that, coupled with a classic American country vibe, gives these songs more menace and presence than even the Mumford's can muster. Quite frankly I can't wait to hear these songs fleshed out with the full band sound that Labour & Love are promising to deliver.

Long story short: It's a risky business, sending out your music before it's completely finished, but it's certainly paid off for Labour & Love. I'll pin my colours to the mast and say without fear of being proven wrong that this is a band guaranteed to cause a stir this summer, and when they get around to fleshing this set of songs out into a proper album it's going to be a real triumph. A genuine diamond in the rough.

Labour & Love - Armchair Philosophy [audio //www.bearfacedrecords.com/EbMBlog_mp3s/LabourAndLove/LabourAndLove_ArmchairPhilosophy.mp3]

Labour & Love - Love is Art^[3] [audio //www.bearfacedrecords.com/EbMBlog_mp3s/LabourAndLove/LabourAndLove_LoveIsArt.mp3]