La Roux: Trouble In Paradise ALBUM REVIEW

It's been a while since I've heard anything from La Roux. Back in 09' the former duo had one of my favorite pop songs of that year with "Bulletproof", but I never bothered to look deeper into the album that that song came from. However, I did notice that La roux seemed to disappear from the pop scene entirely. Turns out, the duo were going through a bit of a rough time, which resulted in them splitting up, leaving the name and creative output to frontwoman Elly Jackson.

Now, I may be the wrong guy to be discussing the obviously sensitive subject the breakup of La Roux as a duo, but I have to say, at least in terms of the music, Elly seems to be doing just fine by herself. Because Trouble In Paradise is easily my favorite pop album of the year, and is bound to make its way onto my end of the year list in some capacity.

First of all, this album has a fantastic aesthetic. The pulsating bass lines and chunky synths remind me of some of the 80's best hit singles. Mix that in with a bit of Bowie and Prince worship, and you have an album that is incredibly easy to love; it also helps that the songs on this LP are incredibly sharp and catchy as well, with a fair bit of ambition to boot. I mean, at the end of the day, these are pop songs about love, and the troubles that one can find whilst being in and out of it. But with tracks like "Silent Partner" with its earnest beat and Depeche Mode esque darkness, not to mention length, it's hard not to admire La Roux for being this  creative in the pop music she creates.

However, while there some great slow moments on this LP, like the single "Let Me Down Gently", it's the brighter, more swaggering moments that stand out the most. For instance, the opener "Uptight Downtown" has some of the brightest and most fun guitar leads I've heard all year, and Elly delivers her verses with confidence and finesse. The following track "Kiss And Not Tell" and my personal favorite "Sexoteque" are both superb bits of Prince fanfare, with Elly owning the tracks with her rather impressive vocal range.

I'll cut my self short by simply saying that I think Trouble In Paradise is easily La Roux's crowning achievement thus far. Sure, it's not reinventing anything, but I;d argue that it is injecting a stale idea, 80's nostalgia, with a shot of life that it has been in desperate need of.

9.0/10