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Remarkably, with this astounding debut, an unassuming 21-year-old from SW2 has revitalised a forgotten form to make one of the finest forward-thinking British pop albums of recent memory.
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The result is as baleful and forlorn as most dance pop is swishy and effervescent.
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Strangely moving robo-pop from hyped duo.
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So far 2009 belongs to La Roux, the rest are just playing catch-up.
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There's an intriguing synthetic wheeze lurking in the upper reaches of Jackson's vocal range. Those who feared this effect might pall over a whole album will find solace in the unexpected emotional intensity of her lower register.
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Q MagazineThe influences may be retro, but La Roux use them as the starting point for something fresh. [Jul 2009, p.114]
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Along with co-writer and fellow synth dude Ben Langmaid, she's ruling U.K. radio with splashy dance hits about sex and betrayal.
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La Roux's dedication to their aesthetic makes this an album where the songs are variations on a theme, and on the rare occasion where the songwriting isn't razor-sharp, the style threatens to overtake the substance. However, that devotion also makes La Roux a standout, not just among the many other '80s revivalists, but the entire late-2000s pop landscape.
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La Roux’s selft-titled debut doesn’t disappoint, pulling obvious influences from the Human League and Depeche Mode.
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There is more than enough pop fuel here to maintain La Roux's unlikely momentum for a while.
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It's a promising sign La Roux might actually develop some range as this pilfer-pop duo continues to mature.
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At the end of the day, this is just good pop music.
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There are plenty of songs here that sound like hits--not least 'Fascination,' on which Jackson's fragile voice floats affectingly over the bleeping electronics before another ridiculously catchy chorus erupts.
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UncutThis is adequate debut, but La Roux will need to move beyond brittle pastiche if they hope to reinvent such overfamiliar ingredients. [Jul 2009, p.91]
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MojoThings dip slightly in the middle when Jackson's reedy vocals are exposed against a mid-tempo backing, but it's a minor quibble. [Jul 2009, p.98]
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Under The RadarBetween the shrill, semi-anonymous voice of Elly Jackson, and Ben Langmaid's clunky paint-by-numbers beats, La Roux's eponymous debut already feels dated. [Fall 2009, p.74]
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 82 out of 93
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Mixed: 3 out of 93
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Negative: 8 out of 93
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Aug 2, 2011
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Dec 8, 2013
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Oct 2, 2011