by MITCHELL COTE
Staff Writer
In 2009, a small song called “Bulletproof” suddenly cut a swathe through the Billboard Top 40. La Roux’s self-titled debut was then hailed as “…the finest and most tuneful synth pop album you’re likely to hear all year”, “…wholly unlike anything heard for the last 10 years but also commercially viable”, and “The ultimate expression of ’80s love.” But following a troubled production with their – and what would wind up being her – second album, and the project then being dropped from Polydor, it seemed La Roux would never be on anyone’s radar ever again.
But now it’s 2020. Almost 6 years removed from the supposed slump of Trouble in Paradise, Elly “La Roux” Jackson has finally found her way back into the music scene after spending 5 years working on her latest album, Supervision. If you were expecting anything new from the singer, then you’ll be sorely disappointed – La Roux has always prided themselves on seemingly being a band out of time, and this album doesn’t fail to deliver.
The opener, “21st Century”, and closer, “Gullible Fool”, book-end the album by sounding like… well, the opening and closing songs for a 80’s coming-of-age film that never was. Between the two are tracks like “International Woman of Leisure”, which feels like it’d be found on an old Now That’s What I Call Music! compilation, and “Otherside”, which seems to be the soundtrack for a hypothetical scene in Breakin’ 3.
While all the songs may be a little on the long side – in fact, “Gullible Fool” clocks in at 7:17 – none of them feel like a true slog to go through. Supervision has seemingly proved that the adage that you can’t teach old sounds new tricks is as mad as a hatter – and we here at MMUSA are excited for what’s coming next in Elly’s newly-refreshed career.