La Roux - 'Supervision'

7/10

Just over a decade ago, there wasn't a moment where you could find a respite from La Roux. Her hit singles 'Bulletproof' and 'In For The Kill' made her an instant household name across the country, leading her to feel reassured of her place in the glittering alt-pop scene of the time. This may have been why she waited five years to deliver her follow-up LP 'Trouble In Paradise' in 2014. A strong return but not quite the hitmaker that her debut was. But it was that clash of expectations from her fans and record label that led us to this, her third studio album 'Supervision', a record that she has self-released in order to feel more in control of what she creates.

Switching on to 'Supervision', it is clear that she has looked to move away from the blistering electro-pop of her first two releases in exchange for something smoother and more groove-filled. The first two tracks '21st Century' and 'Do You Feel' could have been pulled out of Prince's archive vault and nobody would have noticed the difference. And from there it never really loses its confidence. In fact, the majority of singles on this new collection regularly break the five-minute mark, giving them less of a throwaway pop feel and more progressive and diverse in texture, making this her most outsider record of her career so far.

While the pace of 'Supervision' remains a constant, after a while it does begin to feel like she has found herself a sound and just aims to push that dynamic as far as it'll go. But what it lacks in eclectic adventure, it certainly makes up for in fresh and vibrant compositions that see her in an almost reinvented guise, something that she feels more than comfortable in.

More Reviews

Floating Points - 'Elaenia'
9 years 5 days ago

9/10

Roots Manuva - 'Bleeds'
9 years 6 days ago

6/10

Trust Fund - 'Seems Unfair'
9 years 1 week ago

8/10

Beach House - 'Thank Your Lucky Stars'
9 years 1 week ago

7/10

Cheatahs - 'Mythologies'
9 years 1 week ago

7/10

Blackalicious - 'Imani, Vol. 1'
9 years 2 weeks ago

7/10