National Album Day 2019: Dogviolet by Laurel

by | Oct 11, 2019

Laurel perfectly encapsulates what it’s like to be a music maker in today’s landscape of artists with more control over their sound. Her 2018 debut album Dogviolet struck me with a deep level of confidence in both vocal delivery and performance that few artists are able to achieve, for that reason I’ve chosen it for National Album Day 2019.

Working out of her East London studio she handled all the songwriting, production, and mixing duties for the album, a mammoth task but one that allows the audience a greater sense of intimacy and shows the extent of her skill set.

 Sonically, the album navigates brash rhythmic guitar tones, hard hitting live drums and unique percussion sounds that all work to support the album’s narrative. Her work is able to perfectly capture the paradoxes of many romantic relationships; wanting attention but not wanting too much, wanting someone but not the toxicity a relationship could bring.

The album’s standout single, Adored, is the strongest to exemplify this, opening with the poignant line; you’ve been wasting my time honey/ I’ve been wasting your life babe.” An artist like her with such a firm sense of self, so early in her career, should move through the world rejoicing just as we do when with her music.

At only nineteen years old, Greta Jaime (pronounced “jay-me”) is already a rising pop talent. After putting out her debut single ‘Lost in Mexico’ at sixteen, the north Londoner (of Mexican origin) has gained a firm foothold in the industry.

Within the opening bars of A Better Kind Greta Jaime’s sparse keyboard lines house a latent grandeur, which she develops through four minutes of some of the most confident pop writing to come from an emerging artist in a while.
Replete with huge and explosive vocal hooks and R&B tinged percussive grooves, A Better Kind channels the heady heartache that comes with acceptance over a failed relationship.

Penned and produced solely by Jaime, the song crescendos to a blistering climax: syncopated hip hop hi-hats underpin a skygazing solo reminiscent of St Vincent, making for a vital piece of contemporary pop perfection.

Dogviolet by Laurel chosen by musician and songwriter Greta Jaime

GeeJay (Phoebe Nightingale)

GeeJay Share New Track Murder And Announce Biggest Headline Show To Date

North London soul-pop duo GeeJay have unveiled their brand new track Murder and announced details of their biggest...
YES (Gottlieb Bros.)

YES Announce 2026 UK Tour Celebrating Fragile

Progressive rock legends YES have announced their return to the UK with a nine-date tour in spring 2026, following the...
Hannah McFarland (Chris Ashlee)

“It Has Been a Whirlwind” — But Hannah McFarland Is Just Getting Started

Alabama country singer Hannah McFarland has barely had a chance to catch her breath. Since releasing her Broken Hearts EP in February, her career has skyrocketed with opportunities she once only dreamed of.

Lewis Capaldi @ Glastonbury Festival 2023 (Kalpesh Patel)

BST Hyde Park 2026 Kicks Off With Garth Brooks And Lewis Capaldi As First Headliners

BST Hyde Park has announced the first two headliners for its 2026 edition, setting the stage for another blockbuster...
Blondshell @ Electric Brixton (Kalpesh Patel)

Blondshell Brings Electric Brixton To Boil On First Night Of London Double-Header

Sabrina Teitelbaum — better known as Blondshell — has built her reputation on raw honesty and songs that cut deep, and...
Ash @ Scala (Kalpesh Patel)

Ash Light Up Scala & Celebrate Ad Astra With Career-Spanning Set And Graham Coxon Collaboration

There was a palpable sense of anticipation outside North London venue Scala on Wednesday night as Ash returned for the...
Callum Beattie @ Glastonbury Festival 2017 (Kalpesh Patel)

Callum Beattie Announces New Album ‘INDI’ And 2026 Tour Dates, Including Biggest Headline Show Yet at Glasgow’s OVO Hydro

Scottish singer-songwriter Callum Beattie has announced details of his third studio album INDI, set for release on...
Maya Lane @ The Grace (Henry Finnegan / @finneganfoto)

Maya Lane On The Hurt And The Healing: From Vulnerability to Growth

On a rain-soaked evening in London, rising singer-songwriter Maya Lane celebrated the release of her brand-new EP The Hurt And The Healing with an intimate show at The Grace. Just weeks earlier, we had met under sunnier skies at The Long Road Festival, beers and whiskies in hand, denim and sunshine everywhere. Now, umbrellas and storm clouds in tow, it felt fitting that Lane’s new project, a record that navigates through storms towards moments of calm, should arrive on a night like this.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share Thing