Palpitations, the second album by British-born pop artist Laurel, is a reinvention of epic proportions – a full-throated reintroduction to a musician who has, to this point, been known for windswept pop and grunge-inflected folk. 

Bright, passionate and reckless in its pursuit of emotional truth, it is the work of a mature songwriter with a restless spirit. Contained in these 11 songs are all of life’s highs and lows, coated in gleaming ’80s lacquer and shot through with tension and ...