Hot Disc: La Roux

Well, here she is. Another 80s baby: La Roux, née Elly Jackson, awkwardly hot and pouty-mouthed in the manner of Molly Ringwald, you know, like, Pretty in Pink Molly Ringwald, but with a bad boy’s coiff.  And, of course, a retro-electro sound to match. Born in ‘85, have to wonder: did I miss the last good times? How else to explain this old-is-new music phenomenon, stuck like a broken needle in a glossy, synthy, echo-booming groove?

Love it or not, the self-consciously slick ‘80s sound is here to stay. And it’s La Roux who’s made this month’s must-know throwback. Three of the self-titled album’s songs are already singles, the best of which is still the original: “In for the Kill,” a hard, sheeny tune made vulnerable and lovely by the trembling reaches of La Roux’s upper register. Then again, “Tigerlily” might be worth more listens: with an aggressive, tribal drum beat and a come-on chorus (“I can see you burning with desire for a kiss”), the song has a seductive slink that won’t uncoil from your ear.

Check out the video for the single “Bulletproof”