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Product details
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Track Listings
| 1. New In Town |
| 2. Earthquake |
| 3. Stuck On Repeat (album version) |
| 4. Click |
| 5. Remedy |
| 6. Meddle |
| 7. Ghost |
| 8. Mathematics |
| 9. Symmetry |
| 10. Tune Into My Heart |
| 11. Hearts Collide |
| 12. No Brakes |
Product Description
Review
At the start of 2009, the tastemaking polls fairly unanimously selected Blackpool's Victoria Hesketh a.k.a. Little Boots as the one to watch. These affairs have seldom been wrong recently, after selecting Duffy and Mika to be the sounds of their respective years, and, along with La Roux, 2009 was earmarked to be the year of 'Women with keyboards'.
The only drawback of all this excitement was while every publication produced in the first two weeks of January was going loopy over her, there was hardly any actual music to check out. Poor Victoria may be on her fifth 'blogosphere backlash' - because having pop stars with great hair, fantastic garments, vision and ideas is a BAD THING apparently - which she's no doubt losing sleep over.
Anyway, Hands is very good indeed. Imagine a sort-of Venn diagram wherein Goldfrapp's Supernature intersects with Kylie's Fever and Annie's Anniemal to fashion a momentous pop creation. Fantastic moments such as Stuck On Repeat and Meddle had you wondering what Kylie's X could've sounded like if Victoria chucked a couple of tunes Minogue's way.
Produced by Greg Kurstin, the first proper single New In Town - along with its accompanying choreographed dogging video - kicks off things in style. Of the highlights, Phil Oakey popping up to duet on Symmetry is a thing that dreams are made of, and may cause riots if not released as a single at some point. The same could be said of the marvelous Remedy, or Mathematics, or Earthquake, or the aforementioned Stuck On Repeat - all amazing.
Little Boots then. Be dazzled by her wonder. Hands is a solid pop debut, the sort of album which unites lovers of pop, young and old. It sounds great whether you're cleaning the flat or riding a fibre-glass wolf through a crystal sequin waterfall. Really you can't wish for much more than that. Amazing. --Ian Wade
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
73 of 79 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Perhaps it shouldn't surprise me that the Little Boots "backlash" has kicked off before her debut album has even reached the shops. In fact, let's be honest, it kicked off before her debut single had even reached the shops...and then blew up when New In Town failed to reach the top 10. The problems seems to be as thus; the BBC voted her as the Sound of 2009, she's quite a pretty girl and the height of her ambition seems to be to make catchy pop songs in a world where "pop" is still a dirty word.
Well no one seemed to pour as much vitriol into slamming 2008's "Sound" winner (the dull and derivative Adele) nor 2007's winner (Mika), nor 2006's (Corrine Bailey Rae) and if anyone can tell me that any of that trio are particularly inventive or ground breaking you will be lying through your teeth.
Of course half the journalists slamming her purely for winning that poll forget that it's partly voted for by their brethren, nor do they slate Florence And The Machine (who have two single releases under their belt that never threatened the top 40) who won that Brit award, which really is shameless publicity to the 'n'th degree. But silly me, Florence is a "serious" musician isn't she?
Well with that diatribe out of the way, what is Hands actually like? Well as far as I'm concerned it's really rather good. Obviously some tracks that have been knocking around for months (Stuck On Repeat, Meddle, Mathematics) set the bar pretty high but they are far from the only highlights. Having Phil Oakey duet on the shimmeringly wonderful Symmetry might seem like a gimmick but it not only works, but exceeds all expectations, Tune Into My Heart, with it's icy, mellow sound proves that she's far from a one trick pony whilst upcoming single Remedy is the sort of song that Kylie would kill her producers for.
And therein lies the crux. The pompous music snobs out there will spend the next few months telling us everything that Little Boots isn't (and crucifying her for it) rather than focusing on what Little Boots IS.
The solo credits for a couple of the tracks (Click, Ghosts) show that the choice of producers on the other tracks are just that, a choice and haven't necessarily been forced upon her. At least half the tracks on here are superb and the other half aren't half bad either. Jam packed with catchy and memorable choruses it will do little to convince those that think "pop" is a dirty word and those who kid themselves that "promotion" and "hype" are 21st century inventions in the music industry. Yet despite the hype, the pressure and the (perhaps) inevitable backlash, Victoria Hesketh has proved that all of those of us who kept the faith when all around seemed to be laying into her were right all along. She's definitely a talent. Hands may not be a perfect record, but is a very damn good one nevertheless.
Well no one seemed to pour as much vitriol into slamming 2008's "Sound" winner (the dull and derivative Adele) nor 2007's winner (Mika), nor 2006's (Corrine Bailey Rae) and if anyone can tell me that any of that trio are particularly inventive or ground breaking you will be lying through your teeth.
Of course half the journalists slamming her purely for winning that poll forget that it's partly voted for by their brethren, nor do they slate Florence And The Machine (who have two single releases under their belt that never threatened the top 40) who won that Brit award, which really is shameless publicity to the 'n'th degree. But silly me, Florence is a "serious" musician isn't she?
Well with that diatribe out of the way, what is Hands actually like? Well as far as I'm concerned it's really rather good. Obviously some tracks that have been knocking around for months (Stuck On Repeat, Meddle, Mathematics) set the bar pretty high but they are far from the only highlights. Having Phil Oakey duet on the shimmeringly wonderful Symmetry might seem like a gimmick but it not only works, but exceeds all expectations, Tune Into My Heart, with it's icy, mellow sound proves that she's far from a one trick pony whilst upcoming single Remedy is the sort of song that Kylie would kill her producers for.
And therein lies the crux. The pompous music snobs out there will spend the next few months telling us everything that Little Boots isn't (and crucifying her for it) rather than focusing on what Little Boots IS.
The solo credits for a couple of the tracks (Click, Ghosts) show that the choice of producers on the other tracks are just that, a choice and haven't necessarily been forced upon her. At least half the tracks on here are superb and the other half aren't half bad either. Jam packed with catchy and memorable choruses it will do little to convince those that think "pop" is a dirty word and those who kid themselves that "promotion" and "hype" are 21st century inventions in the music industry. Yet despite the hype, the pressure and the (perhaps) inevitable backlash, Victoria Hesketh has proved that all of those of us who kept the faith when all around seemed to be laying into her were right all along. She's definitely a talent. Hands may not be a perfect record, but is a very damn good one nevertheless.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
After several weeks of having discovered this album, my headphones must feel like they are just that. I have not stopped listening to this, every song is a pleasure for my ears. How many people today have actual talent, because this girl certainly does. To summarise, Little Boots may only have small feet, but with talent like this, she has certainly created some very big shoes that will be hard to fill
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
am a forty something bloke who has not bought anything since the missions last album who happened to catch little boots on bbc eye player with the all time music great gary numan and was so impressd with her i bought her album the next day.it was like hearing toyah /wilde back in 81 .what a throwback my teenage niece thought i was sad but there you go i have turned into my dad!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
I really didn't expect to like this!
I love it - one of my all time favourites! To stumble across an intelligent and competent musician/singer strongly influenced by Gary Numan and with a great voice is a rare find... Read more
Published 4 months ago by L. Brown
This is the best album I've ever bought!
I bought this album in 2009 when it first came out, and for two years now this CD's been 'Stuck on Repeat'! I first saw Little Boots on 'Later... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Nicole [:
amazing new talent
I 1st heard little boots on jools holland last november and thought this is so catchy and different i reckon she gonna b huge. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Movie Mad Tommy
little boots, big on infectuos sound
Hands this is the second time i have bought this album as first copy i had got water damaged so had to replace this one, as when i first had this in 2009 on first listen back then... Read more
Published 14 months ago by claw b4
Superb debut from extermely talented artist
I wasn't aware of Victoria Hasketh a.k.a. Little Boots until recently. I guess I should have been, she's been all over Youtube for a couple of years now, and her album has been out... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Ricard Wanderl¿f
Joyful Remedy
I remember first hearing her gorgeous music, and I was honestly on the fence whether to get the cd. I then heard many of her songs while shopping, and then my mind was made up to... Read more
Published 17 months ago by Stella Carrier
Hands...off Boots!!
i was looking at reviews on Little Boots,and learned she has been receiving not too good critisism for what....she s not...??!! is this a joke?! Read more
Published 18 months ago by CARLO
Synthpop turns 21st Century.
Little Boots compiles several modern, well written songs into an album with a very 80's feel to it. Personally, I think she is more talented than the likes of La Roux. Read more
Published on 24 May 2010 by S. Eastop
much under-rated CD
This is one of those rare totally superb albums, there are probably 2 tracks on here that are a bit rubbish, but the rest of it is superb.
Published on 9 May 2010 by Ms. Nairn
4 SONGS ARE BRILLIANT !
Have listened to this quite a lot.
I think Hearts Collide, New in Town, Stuck on Repeat and Meddle are excellent! Read more
I think Hearts Collide, New in Town, Stuck on Repeat and Meddle are excellent! Read more
Published on 19 April 2010 by Jane Pemberley
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