An immersive, funky single with debonair vocals and brass-y entrancement, “It’s a Laugh in the West” is a memorable single from The Beatroot Road. The Vancouver-based project, led by Mark Russell and Hazel Fairbairn, describe the release as “an irony within an irony.” They continue: “There is something wrong and twisted in the life that we live in the west; I don’t know what the answer is, but music is a medicine that can always be relied on to blow the confusion away, at least for a while.
“It’s a Laugh in the West” continues the project’s plan to release a single every six weeks, culminating in an album release in spring 2025. “Underground Roots” dazzled back in October, and now this track continues their stylish charm. “It keeps me happy,” Sophie Smith’s smoothly impactful vocals let out, traversing seamlessly into playful brass and steady rhythmic propulsions. The Beatroot Road continue to impress in their utilization of various talented vocalists across their singles; Kenyan vocalist Lucinda Karrey stirred on “Underground Roots” and now Sophie Smith & The Trueheart choir adds wonderfully to “It’s a Laugh in the West.”
Strutting an ’80s nostalgia though enduring overall message, the melding of cool vocal captivation and perky horns compel throughout. A bodhran-featuring rhythm section builds a hypnotic undercurrent, while Ian Putz’s tenor sax and Fairbairn’s rockabilly fiddle work continue to bolster the mix. The Beatroot Road’s “It’s a Laugh in the West” is very easy to get lost within.
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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
