Music Review: La Roux, Trouble In Paradise

By Melissa Bratcher

Though the BPMs on La Roux’s new album, Trouble In Paradise, are lower than on her surprise hit debut, it’s still the kind of record that moves you to the dance floor. After a tumultuous break (losing her voice, breaking off from her former partner in La Roux), Elly Jackson has returned with a much warmer, fun record, and it’s a very welcome one.

The brittle glitter of her self-titled debut is gone, and in its place are dancehall reggae-infused tunes like “Tropical Chancer,” with bass low enough to give you a (metaphorical) nosebleed and witty lyrics. The funk club bouncer “Sexotheque” lays down a dirty groove then tops it with sunny synth and a giddy chorus. Thumper “Silent Partner” has a bass line that rumbles like a summer storm and skittish keyboard flourishes. “Kiss And Not Tell,” with its sprightly synth riff is the equivalent of a fizzy ice cream cone with sprinkles—a pure delight.

Jackson’s voice is an interesting one. Her falsetto is lovely, if a bit reedy. On “The Feeling” she sings the acrobatic vocal line strictly in falsetto, with a chorus pulled out of a 1960s girl group song. Her voice on the dark “Cruel Sexuality” is simultaneously passionless and warm. That’s an interesting trick.

“Paradise Is You” is wall of sound gorgeousness that builds and builds. It shimmers and breathes, a pretty love song with rich piano. The leadoff single, the moody and dense ballad “Let Me Down Gently” becomes a warm bath of synthesizers, washes, and layers that create a painting to back her plaintive vocals.

Trouble In Paradise is a hooky delight. While some fans might feel let down that it doesn’t tread the same ground as her debut, it shows an artist who is growing and finding her own path. It’s warm, it’s charming, and it’s great to hear new La Roux.

Trouble In Paradise was released by Cherrytree/Interscope on July 22.