La Roux are a British pop duo who first found success following their debut 'La Roux' album released in 2009 which brought to the fray a form of popular music notably reminiscent of 80's synth pop with a more refined production methodology. The voice of Elly Jackson, often mistaken as an independent artist as her collaborator Ben Langmaid rarely appears in PR documents and does not join Elly in live performances, leads each piece on the album accompanied by synths and drum machines to provide the rest of the instrumentation.
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| La Roux: La Roux |
The album begins with 'In For The Kill,' also the second single to be released from the album, also known for an alternative version featuring Kanye West which was released later. 'In For The Kill' is commercially the duo's biggest hit, containing one of the most memorable hooks from 2009. This is followed by 'Tigerlily' which sees a much darker theme compared to most other tracks from the album.
'Tigerlily' later resolves into the opening of 'Quicksand,' the duo's debut single and a highlight of the album. Like many of the other tracks on the album, the instrumentation in 'Quicksand' is restricted but a large musical texture is created through subtle timbral variations between sections and the doubling of vocal parts. While clear in its synth pop origins, the album takes on a much clearer mix and slightly harsher timbres than would be seen in the 80's, when the synthpop movement began, congruent with the production values in the contemporary popular music industry.
The album contains plenty of high quality material, the second half however sees a change in style to a smoother and less upbeat writing style on the whole, ultimately giving more variety but potentially dividing its audience. Regardless, this album is evidentiary of great talent from the duo, with a followup album greatly anticipated.
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