La Roux

La Roux’s self-titled debut arrived in 2009, developed by Jackson and Ben Langmaid. In for the Kill and Bulletproof established a sound built from sharply defined electronic parts, strong melodic shapes and a vocal performance which did not try to soften its edges.

Bulletproof is especially clear in its construction. The rhythmic figures are compact, the refrain has a firm outline, and the arrangement keeps returning the listener to the same central thought. In for the Kill feels more suspended, with the voice reaching into the space around a repeated pattern. They offer different kinds of tension within the same musical world.

Trouble in Paradise followed in 2014. As Jackson’s musical direction moved away from Langmaid’s, Ian Sherwin took on the album’s production. The sound grew warmer and more rhythmically fluid, allowing guitar, bass and a different sense of instrumental space into the picture.

Let Me Down Gently, Uptight Downtown and Tropical Chancer show how the new setting could change the feeling of a familiar voice. The hooks still have clear contours, but the instruments are less tightly boxed in. A groove can unfold around the singing rather than lock it into place.

The contrast between the first two albums is one of the most rewarding things about La Roux. Electronic precision can express vulnerability, while a more relaxed arrangement can carry doubt just as effectively.

Jackson’s phrasing connects the two. The voice remains recognisable at once, but the change around it reveals how many different emotional shades that distinctive tone can hold.