LAL – LAL

For thirteen years, LAL have sat proudly outside the mainstream, embodying a multicultural, multi-genre approach that combines political activism with elements of trip hop, soul and dub (amongst other influences).

On their fourth album, Rosina Kazi’s lyrics address civil liberties and political disillusionment (“where’s the integrity you spoke about last week…trying to act, act like they’re leaders/ they’re kicking us down”), but are let down by unfortunate dips into cod-philosophical hippy territory (see Live Your Light, the chorus of which has echoes of pre-Timbaland Nelly Furtado, without the youthful naiveté).

Similarly, for every successful sonic blend (I Know Your Face’s bassy Portishead-like brooding; Red Room’s thick electronics) there are moments of boredom (Background, for one, makes little impression), meaning that, while LAL the album successfully demonstrates the breadth of LAL the band’s ambition, it stops short of achieving them. An intriguing record, if not quite an exemplary one.