Little Boots - Hands Review
Posted by Dan Pardalis on 03.02.2010
UK electro-pop princess Little Boots digs her heels into the US market with Hands, but is her sound something they’ll run with or run from?
While the electro phenomenon sweeping Europe and Australia hasn’t quite caught on in the United States, if there is an artist that can build on the foundation that Lady Gaga has set down, it’s Little Boots. Citing influences as diverse as Pink Floyd, Kraftwerk and Britney Spears, it would be expected that she’d know a little something about crafting a great song – and she proves that (quite a few times) on her debut Hands.
Tracklisting
1. New In Town
2. Earthquake
3. Stuck On Repeat
4. Click
5. Remedy
6. Meddle
7. Ghosts
8. Mathematics
9. Symmetry
10. Tune Into My Heart
11. Hearts Collide
12. No Brakes
First things first, Little Boots’ natural pop sensibility is absolutely ridiculous – there is nary a single song on the album that is absent of, at the least, a catchy chorus that will be swimming around in your head days later. Almost all of the songs on the album have potential to be singles, something most likely pleasing to both her label and listeners, and is reflected in the fact four of the songs from Hands have already charted in her home country.
While perhaps not on the same level as pop’s current wunderkind Miss Gaga, Little Boots still has an extraordinary ability to craft memorable refrains with ease. While being skilful at this can often lead to laziness in other areas for some artists, she rarely lets up any slack, giving us strong and original verses that are often just as captivating.
This album has a number of songs that use metaphors that could very easily slide into extra cheesy territory, but Little Boots consistently keeps them away from this pitfall by maintaining just enough subtlety to make them work. The consistently literal nature of pop lyrics is often a thorn in the side of the more creative artists, but she manages to tip-toe the line perfectly with the insertion of clever wordplay. Songs like “Mathematics” detailing the often complex nature of relationships, and “No Brakes”, about the uncontrollable ride that is falling in love, are great examples. They take these concepts and push them to their furthest point without tipping them over the edge. Sure, maybe these were the kind of lyrics that forced her departure from indie band Dead Disco, but they are perfectly at home (and very welcome) in the pop world.
One of the highlights of the album comes from one such song, that being “Symmetry” featuring guest vocals from Human League front man Phil Oakey. The song features the two listing off yin-and-yang opposites, the production maintaining a vibe somewhere between the indie-blog electro and the 80’s new wave sound of both collaborators, perhaps itself a reflection of the cyclical nature of pop culture. The coupling of their pleas to their partner on the chorus is a nice touch to the concept. Oakey’s vocals build upon the 80’s feel of the track, and Little Boots herself give us one of her best vocal showings on the album, making this track a real centerpiece.
Clean, high-pitched synths and deep, rippling basslines make up production that is overall, considerably cohesive. Often the problem with albums with such synergy is that songs meld into each other, and everything ends up sounding the same. On Hands, however, the production is just diverse enough that each song sounds individual and stands out amongst the rest. The lone contribution from flavor-of-the-year producer RedOne for “Remedy” is probably the most contentious collaboration, as it slightly breaks free from the indie elements that pad the rest of the album and transitions to a more cookie-cutter mainstream sound. This is only brief though, and the song works far too well to criticize her for this. In comparing it to the other main single, “New In Town” however, it reveals itself as a little less natural, as the opening track is the much catchier and charismatic of the two, despite the lack of a hot producer credit.
In looking at her vocals, while Little Boots may not necessarily have the range of some other pop singers, she does the best she can with what she has – basically, don’t expect any over the top, diva-esque warbling. Her voice is perhaps the musical equivalent of (the notably British) Austin Powers’ fem-bot – mechanical, and a little bit cold, but always inexplicably sexy. Otherwise, on songs like “Tune into My Heart” and “Hearts Collide” she channels Kylie Minogue with eerie accuracy, mimicking both her vocals and singing style so precisely that these very well could have been reference tracks for the Australian pop songstress herself.
What’s wrong with this album though? Firstly, the subject matter leaves a little to be desired, as there’s only so much you can hear about relationships in one sitting. While she is often quite clever lyrically, she does on occasion lapse into the stereotypical pop clichés, and adding in a ‘baby’ to some select verses might place her well in that territory. Finally, the slower, seemingly hip-hop influenced songs like “Meddle” and “Ghost” are a little wearisome, and leave you just waiting for the tempo to pick back up again.
The 411: Little Boots’ shows an extraordinary pop sensibility on Hands and her ability to mold a catchy hook is phenomenal. While she is always treading a fine line between the indie and the mainstream, her balancing act is nearly flawless, managing to never really lapse into the corny territory that pop music can so often venture into. With cohesive production and songs that maintain individuality, aside from a few minor quibbles, this album is a great listen, and for Americans, a great introduction to the sound that is sweeping the rest of the world right now.
