Now I own up, I wouldn’t say I had a soft spot for blonde women from Blackpool (but I do have fond childhoold memories of the annual trip to see ‘the lights’) but it was more for love of the Tenori-On that I fell for Victoria Hesketh (aka Little Boots).

So I must admit, the lack of obvious Tenori-On action was rather disappointing, especially as the album it almost all Kylie-esque, synth-pop 80’s essential tune-ness. Joe Goddard (he of Hot Chip) helps out on ‘Stuck On Repeat’ but “stop, stop praying” on ‘Remedy’ is like very bad Italo-disco, if not Eurovision Song Contest material; I’m tempted to give it nul poins.

But then ‘Meddle’ is the exact opposite of ‘Remedy’ (albeit it’d get the g.a.y vote and the piano solo version is very Dresden Dolls) but come on, ‘Ghost’ has to be a joke? “I see right through you” Victoria as then ‘Mathematics’ is even worse, unless you’re doing GCSEs this month.

You might recognise the synth credit on ‘Symmetry’ of Anu Pillai (Freeform Five) and the guest vocals of Philip Oakey as they to recreate 80s Human League; they probably had a good laugh recording this but I’m cringing all the way through it.

Back in the day Pascal Gabriel mixed a track on Nils Petter Molvær’s Recoloured, and he pops up here co-writting ‘Tune Into My Heart’ which is almost perfect radio pop. ‘Hearts Collide’ would also be another credible single but ‘No Brakes’ is another stinker.

We’ve not heard the last of Little Boots and it’s good that there’s a new girl in town that doesn’t take this stuff too seriously, like a proper northern girl.

Reviewed: Little Boots - Hands (679 Recordings) Cat. No: 2564689603 Release date: 8th June 2009
Tracklisting:
1 New In Town (3:16)
2 Earthquake (4:02)
3 Stuck On Repeat (3:19)
4 Click (3:14)
5 Remedy (3:18)
6 Meddle (3:14)
7 Ghosts (3:01)
8 Mathematics (3:24)
9 Symmetry (4:29)
10 Tune Into My Heart (3:40)
11 Hearts Collide (3:44)
12 No Brakes (4:00)
13 Hands (4:09)

Links:
www.littlebootsmusic.co.uk
www.myspace.com/littlebootsmusic
www.679recordings.com
www.nul-points.net
Mixmag May 2009 www.mixmag.net Little Boots photographed by Diana Gomez p34 Big Tunes #5 ‘Symmetry’ p44 Little Big Noise by Sam Richards “I’ve been accused of destroying the mystery of pop”.