2009 produced some great albums and ditto newcomers and one of those wat without a doubt electropop duo La Roux, composed by singer Elly Jackson and producer Ben Langmaid - who always preferred to stay out of the limelight. Their self-titled debut - a pop triumph characterised by its strong eighties influences and Jackson's signature high-pitched voice - was a refreshingl, thought-out chronic of love, mixing straight-to-the-heart lyrics with cheerful electro sounds. To bridge the gap till their follow-up album, on wich the band is currently working, they're now releasing the Gold Edition EP, a ten-track ... well, gold edition of their debut. Premisse here is not so much to improve 'La Roux' - why would you want to change an already good thing. The Gold Edition is simply adding things, some remixes, b-sides and a few live versions to be specific.
Centerpiece of the EP is 'In For The Kill', the song that got everything started for Jackson and Langmaid. That song must have been remixed a gazillion times, but with this Kanye West remix she does still manage to pull a surprise out of her hat. Third track 'Under My Thumb' is a very enjoyable Rolling Stones cover, a song she has also made her own (it's been part of her live repertoire for a long while now) through her signature powerful, yet melancholic sound. And of course the Gold Edition would be incomplete without Skream's 'In for the Kill' remix. Older than the album itself, but a key version in putting La Roux on the radar. The EP also contains a few live versions, traditionally a bit of a soar spot. Inspite of always putting up a very decent show, their live shows are never fully able to convey the same energy of the album. Here however, she went for accoustic versions, thus avoiding falling flat on the wrong moments. The Abbey Road version of 'Bulletproof' proves that the band has a broader range than purely electronic. And with a loungy interpretation of - once again - 'In For The Kill' (with a perfectly believable Jackson on the bass guitar) the band shows that these songs are as much about the lyrics as about the beats and lend themselves to adaptations like these.
Truth be told, you won't hear much you don't already know. And one could wonder what the relevance is of a couple of remixes and live version of songs some two years after their original release date. So no, the Gold Edition isn't really a shocker in terms of novelty value - even given the Kanye West feature there's only so much you can do with songs like 'In For The Kill'. But For the fans this EP will have fairly little relevance being that they will (or should) have pretty much heard everything already. But then again, for those fans that won't really be of much importance. Containing some decent remixes and interesting live versions, the Gold Edition is mainly intented as a warm-up for the next album and as a little treat in the meantime. And speaking from the fan-perspective: it's much appreciated!
Centerpiece of the EP is 'In For The Kill', the song that got everything started for Jackson and Langmaid. That song must have been remixed a gazillion times, but with this Kanye West remix she does still manage to pull a surprise out of her hat. Third track 'Under My Thumb' is a very enjoyable Rolling Stones cover, a song she has also made her own (it's been part of her live repertoire for a long while now) through her signature powerful, yet melancholic sound. And of course the Gold Edition would be incomplete without Skream's 'In for the Kill' remix. Older than the album itself, but a key version in putting La Roux on the radar. The EP also contains a few live versions, traditionally a bit of a soar spot. Inspite of always putting up a very decent show, their live shows are never fully able to convey the same energy of the album. Here however, she went for accoustic versions, thus avoiding falling flat on the wrong moments. The Abbey Road version of 'Bulletproof' proves that the band has a broader range than purely electronic. And with a loungy interpretation of - once again - 'In For The Kill' (with a perfectly believable Jackson on the bass guitar) the band shows that these songs are as much about the lyrics as about the beats and lend themselves to adaptations like these.
Truth be told, you won't hear much you don't already know. And one could wonder what the relevance is of a couple of remixes and live version of songs some two years after their original release date. So no, the Gold Edition isn't really a shocker in terms of novelty value - even given the Kanye West feature there's only so much you can do with songs like 'In For The Kill'. But For the fans this EP will have fairly little relevance being that they will (or should) have pretty much heard everything already. But then again, for those fans that won't really be of much importance. Containing some decent remixes and interesting live versions, the Gold Edition is mainly intented as a warm-up for the next album and as a little treat in the meantime. And speaking from the fan-perspective: it's much appreciated!
Tracklist
1. In For The Kill (ft. Kanye West)
2. Finally My Saviour
3. Under My Thumb
4. I'm Not Your Toy (Jack Beats Remix)
5. In For The Kill (Skream's Let's Get Ravey Remix)
6. Quicksand (Boy 8 Bit Remix)
7. Bulletproof (Zinc Remix)
8. Tigerlily (Demo)
9. Bulletproof (Intimate Session at Abbey Road, Acoustic)
10. In For The Kill (Vevo Lounge Version)
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