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Little Boots - 'Earthquake'

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Fraser McAlpine | 10:02 UK time, Saturday, 14 November 2009

Little Boots

I know it sounds a bit snobbish to suggest that there's such a thing as a 'proper' popstar, but if such a thing exists, I'm sure Little Boots is one. She has a collection of different types of keyboards! She makes homemade cover versions and sticks them up on YouTube for her own amusement! I might even go as far as to say that she gives off the impression that even if there were no cameras pointing at her and no people listening to her, she'd probably still be twiddling away on a keyboard somewhere because she just likes it that much.

That, to me, is what a proper popstar is - someone who's physically incapable of not being one.

All well and good, and I can sit here and claim she was born destined for the Top 10 as long as I like, but even proper popstars need to prove they've earned their place in the charts by delivering some decent records. 'New In Town' and 'Remedy' got her off to a good start (the latter actually being my own personal summer holiday soundtrack), but how does 'Earthquake' match up?

(. The bit where the Doctor arrives and they blow up a slitheen happens in the next episode.)

Not too shabbily, actually. It's not as instant or as infectious as 'Remedy', and is instead a bit more inward-looking and even a bit glum in places, but Boots actually pulls off my favourite pop trick of contrasting some quite depressing lyrics with some quite jolly sounds.

It's all very Human League, for those of you not ashamed to admit you remember the 1980s (or indeed their brief 1990s revival) - some fairly dark lyrics mixed into a deceptively sweet female vocal and some distractingly strident synthing.

The downside of all this is that it feels more like one of those songs that comes on the radio and makes you smile with recognition rather than grinning and singing along, but that's not necessarily an entirely bad thing. Just as some songs are obvious first singles, others are obvious third- or fourth-singles - not strong enough to hook the potential success of an entire album onto, but good enough to entice a few people who might've been on the cusp of buying the LP after hearing the first few singles over the edge.

And with any luck, if this shifts a few more units, Boots will have enough spare change to treat herself to another new keyboard, and then everyone's a winner.

Four starsDownload: Out now
CD Released: November 16th

³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Music page

(Steve Perkins)

PS: As if by magic, here's Little Boots performing a quite brilliant solo piano version of the Human League's 'Don't You Want Me'.

Comments

  • Comment number 1.

    Good track off a better album. One of my musical highlights of the year. Not only is the album fantastic, but shes a brilliant performer. Youtube her doing 'Meddle' on Jools Holland if you need proof of this!

    I think Stuck on Repeat should have been released, its probably the best song on the album. Remedy released first perhaps, asits more infectious. Followed by Stuck on Repeat. New in Town is decent but theres much better on the album. Meddle being another track.

  • Comment number 2.

    This is my favourite song of hers - one of the first I ever heard (back when it was Every Little Earthquake on her MySpace). Not so sure if it works as a single, tho.

  • Comment number 3.

    Good song, but it's not really a single there's about 4 better songs on the album, Blogging Liam's right 'Stuck On Repeat' is the best song on the album.

  • Comment number 4.

    'Click' is another fav of mine.

  • Comment number 5.

    I was discussing on another post , the reason why I felt Earthquake failed to chart , especially after the Top 5 success of Remedy , and the number 13 debut hit New In Town .

    Earthquake was released in November , and I incorrectly gave the result of minimmal radio and T.V airplay , as the Haiti earthquake , but this was not so as it happened in 2010 .

    The earthquake I was referring to was the Indonesian earthquake in September 2009 , that sadly claimed over 1,000 lives , and this news and footage was transmitted all around the world.

    In my opinion , releasing a song called Earthquake and asking for radio play by the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ , just weeks after the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ reported on a tragedy of the same name, that destroyed many lives and sent sad repurcussions far and wide , is naive and not showing a lot of empathy by the record company.
    A very infeeling and mis-guided commercial decision.

    It was no surprise that nearly every radio station , passed on the chance of playing Earthquake regularly ,so soon after a globally witnessed tragedy and aftermath , which meant audience figures for the song was extremely low , Boots fans had it on the album , and thus it failed to chart .

    Now if ever Boots's record company could borrow Matt Smith's Tardis , they should go back to September 2009 , and ask their radio plugger liaison experts , to encourage the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ to playlist either Meddle or Stuck On Repeat , and then they would have probably have had another hit on their hands and thus increased sales and interest in parent album ........ Hands !

    Now where is that sonic screwdriver ?

  • Comment number 6.

    She should just re-release 'Earthquake'. Get the public buzzing again. And EVEN IF she released around the time of the/an earthquake, it would give her pubicity and people would be talking about how she 'had the balls to do it'.

    Florence has had seven singles from her debut, including a re-release.

    This is hardly fair, despite how good 'Lungs' is.

  • Comment number 7.

    I imagine something's going on behind the scenes, as Miss. Boots has been very quiet as of late. Not seen her announce for any festivals either yet..

  • Comment number 8.

    Good point Liam .

    And in the meantime , Florence's star has gone supersonic , and her profile is totally cosmic ! (love )

  • Comment number 9.

    My bad, she is on the Coachella line up.

  • Comment number 10.

    ^Hardly rave of the century then.

    She could be writing new material, or waiting to re-release 'Earthquake' or something else from 'Hands'.

    Here's hoping jaa?

  • Comment number 11.

    no.

  • Comment number 12.

    I'm hoping for new material. I've listened to the first album to death. I don't think she will be able to rekindle public love with her with 'Hands'. She needs to get back in the recording studio, more under her own steam and look to her MySpace roots for some inspiration.

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