La Roux CD Review

This was written a couple months ago.

La Roux's self-titled debut album was released on June 29th, by Polydor Records, the UK equivalent of Universal Records.

The electronic-pop duo is currently burning up charts in the UK and is slowly, but surely moseying on over to Canada and the US. While the album is about as easy to find as the Holy Grail, having friends in England makes it easier to obtain.

La Roux is a fronted by Elly Jackson, who is the spitting image of any UK hipster, and is the face of the duo that makes up La Roux. Like the Artist Lady Gaga, she is her music, Elly is La Roux, just no dresses made of bubbles, or leotards.

To review this album I've chosen to go song by song.

The album starts off with one of my favorite songs, In For The Kill. It starts with an extremely catchy synth beat and goes right into a loop of an infectious back-beat. Ultimately this song is one that makes you want to dance around in your underwear and make some pancakes, not that I've done that...

Next is another song that makes you want to dance. Tigerlily is just another gem on the album. To set it apart from the previous song the vocals are a lot more raw to start, and turn silky smooth in the chorus, a club hit for sure.

If you've ever heard of La Roux than you for sure know the next song, Quicksand. While not the most amazing song in my opinion, still a classic, and what originally drew me to La Roux.

Bulletproof is by far the most amazing song on the entire album. It's the type of song you listen to on iTunes looped over and over again. The constant verse "This time maybe I'll be bulletproof" turns into a sort of mantra of the song, and is what you start singing along by the end. If you don't listen to anything off this album PLEASE, by all means listen to this song.

The album turns to a slower pace with Colourless Colour, a much more mature sound than most of the songs on the album. The entire construction of the song, from layers and layers of synth, to the softer side of La Roux’s vocals makes for a memorable song.

I'm Not Your Toy is the anthem for anyone who has been in a bad relationship. With lyrics "Yes it's all false love and affection, You don't want me, You just like the attention." make it pretty clear what the song is about, but it’s still catchy.

Cover My Eyes is another one of the slower songs on the album, but still has the feel of a La Roux song. While it's not a song that is one of the best for dancing, it's still a nice song to listen to when you just feel like chilling out.

Not one of my favorite songs on the album, As If By Magic is the 8th song on the album. It has some familiar verses, making me think I've heard this song on an iPod commercial, or a car commercial. All in all, pretty forgettable, maybe worth using the lyrics in your msn name for a week, but that’s about it.

Definitely a club oriented song, Fascination starts off with a big synth beat that carries out through the song; full of digitized vocals, but not in a fake T-Pain kind of way. A good song as a whole, but not something I would go out of my way to listen to, like I would other songs.

Reflections are Distractions is another song like the last one that, while an alright song, isn't anything special. Not the type of song you push your way to the front of the crowd to hear at a concert.

The last note of the album is Armour Love, a kind-of rendition of an old 60's love song, but made electric. This song kind of solidifies in my mind the album drops off about halfway through. If it weren't for some of the most catchy, infectious dance songs the album holds, I'm not sure I would take a second glance at this.

All in all I would say if you find it, pick it up. It's worth the money, and while not the most pretty vocals, the music starts to grow on you after the second or third listen.

La roux will also be playing Toronto's El Mo on July 31st and the MEG stage at Osheaga in Montreal the following day. I would suggest seeing her before she starts to burn up the charts on this side of the world as well.

Turning a new page.

Sometimes you fall.
Sometimes you hit rock bottom.
Sometimes you just change.

Change is what it is, and it just happens.
You can't change that or anything else.
You just go with the cards you're dealt, and hold out for some light at the end of the tunnel.

I'm sorry for change, but I'm not sorry for whats come out of it.
Sometimes things just happen, and there is nothing you can do about it, it just happens.
Change is inevitable, change happens, and when things happen, they just happen.

only bfflz

do lame shit like this;

Good times. Aha we're cool for sure.

I don't like coffee.

Lately everything has been coming undone, and peoples real colours are showing. I don't think it's bad, but it's nice to see how people can really get. Low blows are the new compliment and everyone has something to say. Cool eh? I thought so.

So this got me thinking...

A lot of the little things in life make me happy. Silly little things that not everyone notices, like when you get the crackers with burnt edges. When I catch my foot right before stepping on a snail. The smell right before it rains. Sometimes when I pick the right key the first time to lock my door. Just enough juice left to get one cup. How the stars look at night, even with all this light pollution. How cute Ellen Page and Michael Cera are in Juno. Ladybugs. When it's really foggy in the morning and you can't see. How good cracked paint looks. Old shows like professor iris and read all about it. Funny words like race car. How tasty pumpkin pie is.

But mostly, the way the sun looks so happy after a thunderstorm.

First Snow

So I just walked outside to find the present of life. It's snowing. And my reaction was that of a two year old who didn't know what this was but thought it was a magical sign from some mystical place. Okay, maybe I took it a little out of proportion but I don't care.

I love love love the first snow fall. I've come to realize it just reminds me when I was younger and snow was so amazing. I'd be sitting in class and there would be the one kid that would scream "It's Snowing!" and everyone would rush the windows of the class room to see it snow. I miss these simple times and I like to take these moments as I get older to sit back and remember. I love snow because to me, it means way more then having to shovel, and salt, and the flu. It means, Friends, Family, Scarfs, Hot Chocolate, Sitting on front porches for hours, all the tiny little things that seem so insignificant but really mean a lot when you think about it. I just love snow.

Bum-bum-buhhh.

I have a lot to complain about. So much it usually consumes most of my thoughts, and lately I've just come to realize I should be a lot happier with what I have. I have a family, as scattered as it is, that loves me to the worlds end, friends who I wouldn't trade for anything, and I'm surrounded by positive people.

High school was an interesting time for me. I wasn't the "cool" kid or anything close. I came into grade nine as a new kid and knew no one. I was a lost little puppy and much like a deer in headlights. I was so scared of being hurt, or showing I was hurt I just put a wall up. I just always as second nature had this wall up and I don't know why. I need to start doing things without thinking. I need to fall flat on my face and realize what is wrong.

I've come really far from where I used to be, but more and more I want to be the polar opposite.