Shut Up And Dance

Last April, Joanna Douglas wrote an article for Shine claiming that women go for dangerously impractical shoes during tough economic times. Douglas quotes author Elizabeth Semmelhack, "Heel heights noticeably grew during the Great Depression of the 1930s, the oil crisis in the 1970s, and when the dotcom bubble burst in the 2000s." Both Douglas and Semmelhack believe we've reached a new high of impracticality during this, the "Great Recession," with Alexander McQueen's 12 inch heels cited as an example. Both believe a dour economic outlook brings out a need for escapism and that "towering platforms, extreme wedges, and treacherous stilettos" fit the bill nicely. (Is there any connection between the need for escapism and fantasy exemplified by McQueen's towering heels and his suicide earlier this year?)

What does this have to do with our CD collection? Well, I am wondering if the same holds true for music - when the going gets tough, do the tough crave shiny, saccharine disco beats and glossy escapist lyrics? I thought of this while checking out a 2009 disk in our collection by a performer whose stage name reflects her own choice in footwear: "Little Boots." Little Boots is, if we trust Wikipedia, an English electropop singer-songwriter and musician. Full name: Victoria Christina Hesketh. Little Boots found fame in a truly 21st century way, by posting her cover versions of other artist's pop songs on her MySpace page.

The CD we have is technically Little Boots' big-time debut, and it is titled "Hands." The Wikipedia entry quoted above also states that the album's artwork has been compared to Pink Floyd's "Dark Side Of the Moon." I suppose I see that, but putting a triangle and some stars on your album jacket does not classic artwork make. I realize I am older than the average Little Boots listener, but what I did notice about the CD jacket is that the white, all caps font inside makes the lyrics almost impossible to read.

On the other hand, an artist who claims to be influenced by Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue and The Human League is probably not a lyricist on a level with Leonard Cohen (sample: "You're the night to my day / and the left to my right / the blood to my veins / and the dark to my light." Can we call a moratorium on "blood in my veins" lyrics for awhile?) , so let's get right to the sound of things.

Opener "New In Town" is good stuff - ABBA meets Lady Gaga, a sexy groove but a sweet lyric. If this isn't a Las Vegas commercial already, it will be soon. Follower "Earthquake" is alright, catchy if not memorable. Unfortunately, it's how I end up feeling about the entire CD. It reminds me of those Saturday night DANCE PARTY radio shows, great grooves with faceless singers posing over the beats. Little Boots has a Little Voice, too, and it makes the whole effort sound cold and detached, but the edgier grooves seem to call for more. I guess "Meddle" was used as a Victoria's Secret commercial and it has a bit more muscle and bone than the rest. Reminds me a bit of 80s group Missing Persons, if that helps you at all.

So, two standouts, "New In Town" and "Meddle." The rest didn't change my life and wasn't as irresistibly hooky as Gaga and some of Little Boots' other competition. What about you? Have you listened to Little Boots? Have I missed the mark?