"LA ROUX"
La Roux
U.S. release date: Sept. 29, 2009
Official Site, MySpace, Wikipedia

I absolutely love this album. Well written and beautifully intrumentalized, it's a must-have for any fan of synthpop or dance music.

FOR A WHILE, mention of the synthpop duo La Roux conjured up images in my mind of blinding strobe, blaring music, and neon incandescence.

There was no particular song attached, just the general aura of dancing and fog machines. European techno is dime-a-dozen common, and I felt no need to thoroughly explore what I considered to be just another band.

Then a couple of my friends started talking the band up. OK. I listened to a few clips, skimmed an album summary so I could curtly summarize them without being completely off, and didn't think twice about any of it.

Just a few weeks after, they showed up on the Mercury Prize shortlist. Grudgingly, I pulled up their single "I'm Not Your Toy" and sat back to listen.

And then I listened again. And again. And over and over, until I remembered that it wasn't the only song on their debut album, and then I went back and listened to all of those, too.

In short, I fell in love.

La Roux (pronounced "la ru") are British electropop musicians Elly Jackson and Ben Langmaid. Known equally well for their avante-guard fashions as well as their bright and sharp electronic melodies, their eponymous debut album was released in June in the U.K., but only last month in the U.S.

Though synthpop is on the rise, it's rare to find a band that mixes real musical talent with technological innovation. In short, if a band can't stand on their own without a MacBook playing along in the background, they're probably not worth listening to; inversely there are all too many "techo" bands that do nothing more than trip over their synthesizers.

But this doesn't hold true for La Roux in the slightest. Jackson is, of course, an incredibly talented vocalist. Her voice is high and clear, unembellished by the bluesy frills or (ridiculous) slides so prominent in today's female vocals, a feature that is perfectly matched by the bright, cutting synth backing described by so many as "tinny."

I'm not entirely sure that "tinny" is the right word, though. The drums are thin and sharp, yes, and the guitar and computerized melodies certainly lack the depth of tone one would expect with rock or even traditional pop. However, "tinny" carries with it a morass of negative connotations, and I'd be hard-pressed to find even one that applies to "The Redhead" (which is what the band's name translates as, in reference to Elly's hair).

La Roux has managed to break away from the synthpop norms with such a striking ease that this album is surprising not only in its talented instrumentation, but song composition as well. Traditionally, techo pop falls neatly into one of two categories: bright, cheerful love songs or mellowed heartbreak ballads. But, of course, that's just too simple for Elly and Ben.

The album's tone dances from snarky to biting to lovelorn to icy and back again. The single "In For The Kill," now as well known in the U.S. as the U.K., manages to bridge all four with a startling cynicism, as Elly sings:

Full stops and exclamation marks
My words stumble before I start.
How far can you send emotions? ...
I'm going in for the kill
I'm doing it for a thrill
Oh, I'm hoping you'll understand.

If I could, I would include the full lyrics of several songs here; they're all worth hearing. But that would be much too dull, so instead I can only offer my full approval of any- and everything she sings. She's every bit as talented a lyricist as musician as vocalist as whatever. (I have lots and lots of respect for Elly Jackson. If it's not clear by now … I don't know what you've been reading.)

In short, I love this album. I absolutely adore it. Elly and Ben have created a wonderful album that I predict will become a staple of both the dance-music scene and indie pop for years to come.

LISTEN TO LA ROUX HERE