Anyway the points for comparison between the two acts are more obvious than one would have first thought. Both operate with the subtlety of sledge-hammer, both feature an impressive vocal range and both hold an ambition to reach beyond the niche pages of mixmag and the NME.
But enormous quiffs and Kate Bush impressions aside, the question of whether there’s any substance to these two young acts remains largely unanswered by the debut albums from both parties.
Kicking off with the bigger seller, Lungs is befitting of the attention span of its author flitting intermittently between the garage-rock of Kiss With A Fist, the stomp pop of Girl With One Eye and string drenched Dog Days Are Over. Though offering an eclectic mix, such an approach doesn’t lend to a coherent record. Indeed for an artist with such an effervescent personality pursuing so many musical directions leaves Miss Welch at risk of losing her identity within the musical quagmire.
The primary anchor within this diversity is Florence’s admittedly impressive set of pipes and boy does she know it. Restraint is rarely exercised when the opportunity for an all out warble fest arises. On Rabbit Heart’s no holds barred chorus “this is a gift it comes at a price” it works a treat, however, excessive use of the talent diminishes its effect. Blinding in fact represents one of the LPs finer points for its deft use of wilting vocals wrapped in a slew of gently plucked strings. Ultimately, the choice of You’ve Got The Love to bookend the album acts as a neat summary of its contents, unique enough to make you sit up and take notice but lacking the refinement to hold attention once the novelty factor has worn off.
La Roux’s album is a different, altogether more formulaic beast. The challenge for Elly Jackson and Ben Langmaid was always going to be how to produce a record so heavily indebted to a pre-definied era without it sounding dated from the moment of release. Their answer it arises, is to stick rigidly to the cold brew of shrill synth and falsetto vocals that has already lead to the chart topping success of Bulletproof and In For The Kill. However well this modus operandi transposes to the dance floor though, on an emotional level it doesn’t really rise above ‘boys are stupid throw rocks at them’ level emotions.
Given the fragile nature of both the music and lyrical subject matter one wouldn’t have thought this would have been a stumbling block “It’s all false
love and attention / you don’t want me you just like the attention”. Yet on Cover My Eyes and Amour Love, a paper thin backdrop jars when Elly Jackson tries to bring in more complex feelings for discussion. This deficit doesn’t make La Roux’s debut a bad album, the When Doves Cry sampling Quicksand and coarse chimes of Tigerlily ensure that. In terms of a some what obligatory 80s influenced records / TV police drama comparison however, it represents the The Bill to Ladyhawke’s The Wire.
Florence + The Machine – Lungs 7/10
La Roux – La Roux 6/10
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