View text source at Wikipedia
L.A.B. V | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 17 December 2021 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 48:39 | |||
Label | Loop Recordings | |||
Producer | Brad Kora | |||
L.A.B. chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from L.A.B. V | ||||
|
L.A.B. V is the fifth studio album by New Zealand band L.A.B., released in December 2021. Featuring the singles "Mr Reggae" and "Under the Sun", the album was a commercial and critical success, reaching number one on the New Zealand Albums Chart, and winning the Aotearoa Music Award for Album of the Year.
The album was written and recorded over a period of six months in mid-2021,[1][2] at Dr Lee Prebble's Surgery Studios in Wellington.[3]
The album's first single "Mr Reggae", a cover of the 1977 song by Hawaiian musician Billy Kaui,[4][5] was released on 26 November 2021.[6] This was followed by "Under the Sun", which was released as the album's second single on the day the album was released, on 17 December.[7] The album's third single was "Real Ones", a hip-hop song performed with New Zealand musician Kings, which was released a week before the album's vinyl release on 1 April 2022.[8]
The band performed at Rhythm & Alps on 30 December, followed by three large-scale concerts in January, held in New Plymouth, Christchurch and Western Springs in Auckland.[9] The group's concert at Western Springs made them the second New Zealand band in history to headline the venue, after Six60.[3] In March and April 2022, the band toured Australia, performing seven dates, including an appearance at the Byron Bay Bluesfest on 15 April.[9]
In November 2022, the album was awarded the Aotearoa Music Award for Album of the Year. This was the second consecutive year where L.A.B. won this award, after L.A.B. IV in 2021.[10]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Can You Be the One" | B Kora | 3:23 |
2. | "All Night" | L.A.B | 3:01 |
3. | "Mr Reggae" | Billy Kaui | 3:04 |
4. | "Under the Sun" | B Kora | 4:52 |
5. | "Real Ones" (with Kings) | Kings | 3:58 |
6. | "Oh Honey" | B Kora | 4:05 |
7. | "Like Fire" | B Kora | 3:40 |
8. | "Backseat" |
| 5:10 |
9. | "I Know" | B Kora | 3:17 |
10. | "Proud Man" | B Kora | 5:09 |
Total length: | 48:39 |
In addition to L.A.B., strings on the album were performed by The Black Quartet, a group featuring Mahuia Bridgman-Cooper, Peau Halapua and Joe Harrop. The album was recorded at the Surgery Studios in Wellington, New Zealand, while strings were recorded at Mmm Studio in Auckland.
Weekly charts[edit]
|
Year-end charts[edit]
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
New Zealand (RMNZ)[13] | Platinum | 15,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
New Zealand | 17 December 2021 | Loop Recordings | [1][14] | |
Various | 8 April 2022 | Vinyl | [15] |