Label: Atlantic Records
Country: United Kingdom
Release Date: 2009.06.08

The weight of expectation sits heavily on the shoulders of Victoria Hesketh, but a synthesised shrug makes light of the hyperbole as the 25-year-old unassumingly blends Giorgio Moroder and Kraftwerk’s minimalist charm, to produce gently pulsing gems like No Brakes. Running through Hands like Blackpool in a stick of rock are Mathematics and Symmetry. The former thunders along to a cavernous drum and keyboard motif with undeniable numerical logic, and the opening sequence of the latter recalls the frosty glacial splendour of early Human League. As if by magic, enter Mr Phil Oakey, as though the past 28 years never happened. Like much else here, it could easily have gone cheesy, but the duet soars in minor triumph. Little Boots has the tunes to make this more than a nostalgia trip, throwing down challenges on the dance floor and thrashing out pop hooks by the dozen. (by scotsman)

Label: Atlantic Records
Country: United Kingdom
Release Date: 2009.01.05

There’s a lot of interest in Little Boots, a.k.a. Victoria Hesketh, at the moment, as she has been announced as the most promising new artist in the BBC’s “Sound of 2009″ list. Coincidentally, in the same week this was announced, her track “Stuck On Repeat” was given away free as iTunes’ Single of the Week. A smart move, which has led many people (me too) to buy the full three track EP – a taster for an album which will undoubtedly be rushed to the top of her record company’s priority list.
All three tracks are musically clever and interesting, thanks to the electronic elements of her music – the Tenori-on (a strange yet wonderful Japanese “soundscaping” synth instrument) being especially of interest. Though this makes the music feel modern and experimental, at the same time there is also a definite nostalgia there for the pop rather than dance focussed synth of the 90s. Take the electronic side away and you get something fairly reminiscent of Saint Etienne mixed with Dubstar, whacked around the head by Bat For Lashes. (by andromeda descendent)