MUSIC: La Rude

Taking five years to make your long-awaited second album has killed careers. If you don't believe me, check out The Stone Roses' Second Coming or Elastica's The Menace. They both never recovered.

2009 saw the debut album release of the androgynously elfin Elly Jackson (aka La Roux). Released amid the "Girls with Synths" flush of 2008-09 (a genre I also coined as 'The L Word Ladies'; La Roux, Little Boots, Ladyhawke, Lady Gaga; I know I'm missing a few), her debut album stood out among the clan. Not only did her junior Tilda Swinton looks disengage her from the blonde sexpots, her flutey, sometimes shrill vocals made her even more distinct. It's 21st century pop; you've got to stand out somehow because the market is flooded.

After years of resting up, throat issues, splitting with bandmates (Ben Langmaid was her writing partner/keyboardist, the silent/hidden other half a la Will Gregory of Goldfrapp), nerves, etc., she's come back with Trouble in Paradise (indeed). Gone is most (not all) of the tinny, trebley, shrill "electronics only" approach of the self-titled debut. Having said that, gone is a lot of the thrill of her laptop take on the early '80s synthpop of Yaz and Eurythmics. There is no 'Bulletproof' here.

Trouble has a warmer, slightly fuller sound to combat the cries of her being a one-style wonder or aping the debut. But where as La Roux was full on 1983, Trouble is full on 1986. It should be written in stone somewhere, the early '80s beats the mid '80s every time.

There are a few bright spots on the album though, don't get me wrong. Opener 'Uptight Downtown' adds the strum of funk guitar and a smoother singing style overall (keeping this up for most of the album):

Several tracks on the LP follow this style, sort of if a lightweight version of Grace Jones' early '80s backing band was fronted by a young Annie Lennox. OK, maybe not as cool as that sounds.

Trouble does get its mid 80s spirit right; the album is only nine tracks long - some killer ('Sexotheque', some filler ('Paradise is You'). But I have faith in Jackson to come back with another album sooner rather than later. Here's hoping she follows kindred spirit Lennox's path, but avoids the "We like guitars!"/rock-isms of Eurythmics' Revenge and goes straight for Eurythmics' Savage.