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.