Customer Reviews

Hands

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Little Boots is the latest UK songstress hoping to build a career after topping the BBC's sound of 2009 poll. With an electro Pop sound heavily reminiscent of Kylie, Madonna, and Donna Summer, her lead-off single "New in town" has already made the UK top 20. It reminds me of stuff by Dragonette.

I had been impatiently awaiting the release of this album ever since hearing "Stuck on repeat" (and indeed it was stuck on repeat on my iPod) months ago. With surging/pulsing synths similar to Donna Summer's "I feel love" and breathy vocals reminiscent of Kylie's "Can't get you out of my head", it is maddeningly addictive.

Other highlights include the dark, downbeat "Click" (with deep sounding synths), the buzzing "Remedy" ("dancing is my remedy"), the quasi-symphonic ballad "Ghosts" with skittery marching beats" (another favourite of mine"), "Symmetry" (with Human League's Phil Oakey; the best song Human League never recorded), the Eurodisco-sounding "Hearts collide", and closing ballad `No brakes" (with hypnotic whirling synths, another favourite of mine). Hidden after "No brakes" is a delicate ballad "Hands" with vocals accompanied by piano only making one pay attention to the lyrics. "I just don't have the technology" she sings in response to a call to help with a broken heart.

This has been a great year for electronic music (Pet Shop Boys, Röyksopp, and Depeche Mode to mention a few). Everything on this disc is incredibly catchy. What more can I say? Just put this on and you just might find this charming disc "Stuck on repeat" and "Hands" will have you moving your feet.

So far 'Hands' is my favorite album of the year. I had bought all the available downloadable tunes, loved them, wanted more. So I bought the UK import, the standard version. (Don't bother with the 'Extra Tracks' version as it has only two, not three, unique tracks, both of which are remixes available for download).

Every song on this album is lovely and deep in its own way, words and music. The electronics are a bit raw and simple at times. But I tend to like it that way. The typical over-produced 'Wall Of Sound' mixes frequently ruin the actual performance. Victoria does a terrific job here for a first full album. She loves her gizmos and plays them beautifully.

Note that 'Hands' contains the third non-remix version of 'Stuck on Repeat', and it is by far the best version. There are also revisions to a couple other previous songs as well, all well done. The newer tunes floored me. She only gets better!

Oh yeah. The Easter Egg: There is silence at the end of the 'last' track, "No Brakes". Wait about a minute... and there it is, the album's lovely title song, on just piano. A very thoughtful final touch. (^_^)

Grab this album before it hits the streets in the USA and gets played to death. And be sure to enjoy following Little Boots on her various websites, including MySpace, Twitter, YouTube and her official UK website. She is remarkably friendly and sharing.

This is the rare electro-pop album that has it all. Modern, futuristic beats, tight dance rhythms, keen lyrics, and amazing production.

Nearly all of the tracks are great, but "Stuck on Replay," "Remedy," and "Meddle" are my favorites, as they all have great melody and a great modern dance vibe. The tracks stop short of being exotic or strange, and they avoid the pretension and self-absorbed ramblings of the Ke$has and the Gagas of the world.

There are a few pleasant surprises along the way, such as the guest appearance of the always reliable Human League frontman Phillip Oakey on the appropriately titled track "Symmetry," and the uncanny references to love by comparing it to mathematics, of all things, in the track "Mathematics."

Vocals are spot-on, and there is no wasted time on this record. There are enough great tracks here to keep DJ's busy for the entire summer of 2010, as nearly all of this could be remixed into dancefloor anthem bliss. This is like eating the perfect meal that tastes great, fills you up, leaves you wanting more, but doesn't make you feel guilty afterwards. In other words, this is not a guilty pleasure. It is a glorious thing from start to finish - and professionally done I might add.

Before I didn't know this artist...I think that this cd contains a good pop-dance electronic!!! Little Boots have a fantastic and amazing voice!!! For me is similar to September (do you know the Swedish singer?)...
There are any songs that comeback to 80's and 90's as kind...they are very pleasant to listen!!!
My favourite songs are "Earthquake", "Remedy", "Mathematics" and "Simmetry"!!!

I heard "Remedy" on a TV Show on BBC America "Gavin and Stacey" and I instantly had to find out the name of this song. I checked the lyrics in google and found the song and "Little Boots" and bought the song five minutes later. "New In Town" is good too. I like the other songs as well but I must admit that I'm in love with "Remedy." Little Boots voice is honey drizzled over electronica humanizing it and giving it a soulfulness that you don't always hear in synthpop music. What are you waiting for, buy it already!

I love Little Boots. She is one of my favorite female artists and this album proves why. My favorite song is Earthquake, but all of them are amazing. You are definitely missing out if you haven't heard this album.

Great cd from this new artist I have just discovered. Love every song on this fun, spirited cd!

It's safe to say that Little Boots is an unknown here in the US. Possibly getting a few plays in the underground club scene, she's a UK artist with a true artistic vision. It's a shame that none of the singles from this album seemed to take off in the US, fitting in well alongside the Lady GaGa and Katy Perry tracks that were getting such heavy rotation at the time of their release. Little Boots has crafted a massive pop gem here, with songs that aim for the heart and the dancefloor.

The album opens with the synths of 'New in Town', a song that tears into a hollering chorus. Little Boots doesn't sound this good again, and it's the perfect way to pull listeners into this realm of backstreet-filling, stereo-blaring pop music. 'Earthquake', with its heavier synth fare, pops and crackles like the earth is tearing open within the chorus, with Little Boots reveling in the destruction of a relationship. 'Stuck On Repeat' darkens the sound, dropping the tones heavier and sending Little Boots' vocals through a processor with its simple, repetitive structure.

The rest of the album works as brilliantly as the opening trio. 'Remedy' is a rave-ready arena-filler, stuttering beat breathing cold life into Little Boots' call for independence. 'Meddle' stomps heavy as a wary Little Boots warns a best friend's ex to keep his promises to a jaded woman. 'Ghost', with its percussive rhythms and talk of apparitions, marches along steady and strong.

While the rest of the tracks don't quite match the aforementioned two trios of songs, she covers her bases well without ever coming off as anything other than sincere. The ballads are strong, something techno-pop music tends to struggle with inside of its genre, and there's not a weak track here. The only issue is that some songs ('Click', 'Mathematics') are eclipsed by their adjacent tracks. Depending on how its viewed, this is either an issue of inconsistency or track order. Either way, it becomes a non-issue when the record is taken as a whole, never faltering to provide dance music and confessional poetry within a single track.

With just one album, Little Boots has managed to launch herself into the stratosphere alongside fellow 'smart' pop artists. Not since Robyn's independent label debut has an artist come so fully recognized, a breath of fresh air amongst more faceless pop artists. The hooks are built for the long run, taking several listens to sink in, but remaining far after weaker records would tire, coincidentally long enough for Little Boots to get a sophomore record put together. Here's hoping it's no slump.

Letter Grade: A-

Recommended Tracks: 'New In Town', 'Remedy', 'Meddle'

This album is great. The music is great; other reviews tell you that. This review is about the physical disk.

This is listed on discogs as a limited release vinyl, only 2500 copies in the US. It is a colored vinyl, black with a galactic starburst sort of pattern radiating from the center. The vinyl is in a PVC slipcase which, while it does display the disk nicely, does not have the album art or the semi-rigidity protection of a cardboard sleeve.

While the lack of a cardboard sleeve is a bit of a minus, it's not too bad. overall, it's a nice disc you get that looks pretty awesome. Good complement to a lovely album.

I remember first hearing her gorgeous music, and I was honestly on the fence whether to get the cd. I then heard many of her songs while shopping, and then my mind was made up to definitely purchase. She has a very gorgeous and one of a kind voice. I really love how the songs were creatively selected to showcase her wonderful voice. You definitely get your money's worth on this cd because many of the songs are very exciting, joyful, and unique. This collection invokes euphoric feelings within me every time I listen to it. Many who listen to these songs are going to come away with a sense of an emotional boost. My personal favorites in this cd are "Remedy", "Symmetry","No Brakes" and "Hearts Collide". "Remedy" discusses how she is going to resist temptation with her cures (music and dancing). It is a good song because music and dancing are healthy choices to increase one's fullfillment levels. "Symmetry" is a musical number where the singer does a good duet with the lead singer of Human League. Her and Human League's lead singer sound harmonious together. "No Brakes" is about how love can overtake you at unexpected times. "Hearts Collide" is a very beautiful and catchy song about how a person wants to proactively pursue the one they are attracted to. My two favorite songs on the cd are "Hearts Collide", and "Remedy". The woman singing these songs on this cd has a very beautiful voice to go with the many melodic and smooth songs in this collection. I definitely agree that this is one of the best cds of 2010. If you crave good music to add to your collection from 2010 then this definitely is a cd to add. She deserves to attract more attention in America because she is that talented.