Damit erst gar keine Missverständnisse entstehen, beginnt das zweite La-Roux-Album (mit „Uptight Downtown“) wie eine Duran-Duran-Platte ca. 1984: der trocken daherstolzierende Studio-Drum-Beat, umgehend von einem funky but not too funky Bass umgarnt, dann die hüfthoch-beckenseits angeschlagene Echo-E-Gitarre, die es durch feierliche Synthie-Stabs zu doppeln gilt. Oh rassige, glamouröse Künstlichkeit!

(...) Die ganze Platte wirkt, als wäre La Roux ihren Vorbildern von damals wie den Eurythmics, Heaven 17 oder Depeche Mode einfach weiter gefolgt, als die sich darum bemühten, ihren anfangs vor allem kühn und kühl wirkenden Pop-Entwürfen mehr Atmosphäre und Tiefe zu verleihen.

Der angespannten, in Abwehrhaltung fast resolut wirkenden ist eine laid back Elly gewichen, mit einer nuancierteren, sinnlicheren Stimme. Dass wir uns nicht missverstehen: Das eine ist nicht grundsätzlich besser als das andere und schon gar nicht „weiblicher“. Es scheint nur, als erfreut sich die entspanntere Elly Jackson einer größeren Freiheit darin, sich künstlerisch auszudrücken. Was sie als Texterin allerdings nicht gleich frei macht von ihren fundamentalen Ängsten und Sehnsüchten, die sie so freimütig formuliert – besonders anrührend in „Let Me Down Gently“ („Turn me into someone good, that’s what I really need“) –, dass sich die Frage, wie viele Popsongbetexter das vielleicht schon sehr ähnlich getan haben, nicht stellt.

Zumindest nicht denen, in denen sich diese Popsongs warm und wonnig ausbreiten. Einer wie „Kiss And Not Tell“ zum Beispiel, der in seiner Italodisco-Vergnügtheit fast schon ausgelassen zu nennen ist. Bevor wir hier aber noch weiter aufzählen, man kann es auch kurz machen: Hits sind das alles.

"Trouble in Paradise" findet sound-technisch nämlich im Gegensatz zum Vorgänger nicht im Club oder der angesagten Szene-Bar statt, sondern wurde an den Strand einer tropischen Insel verlagert. Ein Großteil der Songs durchzieht ein ausgelassener Beach-Vibe, der von Funk-Gitarren, tuckernden Bässen, Disco-Anleihen und 80er Synthies ergänzt wird.
Besonders luftig und groovend kommt der Track "Kiss And Not Tell" daher: Er klingt in seinen Instrumental-Parts wie die Vertonung einer Spielwiese voll tollender Kinder. Noch rhythmischer und tanzbarer gibt sich "Tropical Chancer", in dem Jackson mit Reggae und Calypso experimentiert. Der Opener "Uptight Downtown" hingegen mutet wie ein feierwütiger Mix aus ABBA, Daft Punk und David Bowies "Let's Dance"-Album an.
Interessanterweise stehen die Lyrics von La Roux im krassen Gegensatz zu den fröhlich übersprudelnden Melodien, die sie heraufbeschwört: In "Sexotheque" lässt sie sich über einen zwielichtigen Typen aus, der lieber Bordelle aufsucht, als sich um seine Familie zu kümmern; das rhythmische "Cruel Sexuality" mit seinen lieblich-verschwommenen Synthie-Betten und dem weichen Falsett-Gesang handelt von einem besitzergreifenden, groben Ex-Freund. "Why must you keep me in a prison at night?"
Mit "Trouble in Paradise" legt La Roux zweifelsfrei eine bemerkenswerte Platte vor. Während ihr Debüt noch darauf abzielte, den aktuellen Trends bestmöglich zu entsprechen, hat sich Jackson inzwischen so weit emanzipiert, dass sie den Sound von morgen selbst vorgibt. Trotz der Befreitheit, die die neuen Songs versprühen, lassen sie ein Qualitätsmerkmal der alten Tage leider schmerzlich missen: Alles Schroffe, Schmissige und Kantige wurde fast komplett glatt gespült.
(laut)

‘Breathe In’ opens the album nicely, the tender vocals breaking through the delicate arrangement like the sun permeating the dimness of early morning. As the acoustic guitar licks ride the gentle rumble of drums, airy harmonies float alongside bittersweet strings that set the tone for the majority of the LP.

The enchantingly personal ‘Easy Way Out’ benefits greatly from Karazija’s sentimental writing style. The confessional lyricism engages the listener whilst the tranquil production style is jolted awake by stirring rhythms halfway though. Equally rousing is ‘I’m leaving’ with its military style drumming and pulsing, hypnotic vibe.

‘In The Morning’ proves a delightful folk ditty before the throbbing electronic essence of ‘Phantom’ takes over. Not to be outdone is ‘Vampire On My Fridge,’ a track that starts off skeletal and cold before exploding in a dynamic display of percussion, synths and strings.

Building upon the serene atmosphere that captivated and romanced listeners on Low Roar‘s debut, 0 does not disappoint, it’s cinematic qualities intoxicating the listener and staying with them well after the last track has been played. Deeply frank, it’s a record that proves there is strength in fragility.
(Acid Stag)

0 is predominantly folk music, but you can still pick up Ryan’s indie roots in songs like “Easy Way Out” and “Nobody Loves Me Like You”. His emphasis on the atmospheric elements of the music give the album a cold and spacious quality to it, and it would be reasonable to assume that the harsh, barren landscapes of his new homeland, Iceland, didn’t play a factor when crafting songs like “Dreamer” and “Vampire On My Fridge”. We’ve pulled a coupe of the key tracks for you to listen to now so you can get acquainted, but anybody who already knows what this guy is about knows that to not listen to the whole thing would be to miss out big time. That being said, start off with “I’ll Keep Coming” and “Please Don’t Stop (Chapter 1)”. They’re on opposite ends of the 0 sound spectrum, but they’ll give you a good idea of where the rest of the project is headed, and you can rest assured that the rest of the tracklist fits somewhere in between these two, stylistically.

At times, 0 moves at a snail’s pace, and other times it soldiers on with a slow-burning energy that is painfully infectious, but every song contributes to the overall sound aesthetic of the album, and there really isn’t a weak spot in the lineup. You’re going to want to save 0 for those times when you just want to sit back and chill out for a bit by your self, since it’s almost built for relaxation, and there’s really nothing better out there right now if all you want to do is get lost in a world of beautiful music where the sounds implore you to close your eyes and let your immigration run wild.
(hillydilly)

Oftentimes, their work sounds like something alt-J would put out (but played at half-speed), and there are times when you wonder where certain songs are going, but by the end of them, you find that they always come full circle, with yourself enjoying sounds you never thought you would.

The Acid fuse indie with post-Burial bass music so seamlessly that you forget The xx ever existed.

• 16.09. Köln
• 17.09. Frankfurt
• 19.09. Hamburg (Festival)
• 22.09. Berlin
• 24.09. Mannheim

• “A book like this” – Angus & Julia Stone (2007)
• “Smoking gun” – Angus Stone als Lady Of The Sunshine (2009)
• “Down the way” – Angus & Julia Stone (2010)
• “The memory machine” – Julia Stone (2010)
• “By the horns” – Julia Stone (2012)
• “Broken brights” – Angus Stone (2012)
• “Angus & Julia Stone” – Angus & Julia Stone (2014)

• 09.11.2014    Offenbach
• 10.11.2014    Hamburg
• 12.11.2014    Berlin
• 13.11.2014    München
• 14.11.2014    Köln

Die Musik hier aber ist verschwommen, ausgedehnt wie ein Seufzer in Zeitlupe. Die Gitarren klingen hell wie Windspiele, den analogen Synthesizern entweichen Akkorde, zwischen denen so viel Raum bleibt, dass man dort einen Lastwagen parken könnte („Darkest Place“). Der Schlafzimmer-Funk von „Reflections“ erinnert an das Album WOMAN vom kanadischen Duo Rhye (auch die Cover ähneln einander), und obwohl manche Songs etwas flach klingen, ist CONVERSATIONS eine eigene, beinahe körperliche Wärme inne. Burgess’ Cumbria-Akzent erdet ihren stark an den aktuellen R’n’B (Kelela, FKA Twigs, Banks) angelehnten Gesang zwar etwas, aber der Gesamteindruck eines angenehmen Wachtraums bleibt.
(Musikexpress)

Whether the soft yearning of ‘Two Sides Of You’ – her voice as delicate as the minimal instrumentation that underpins it – the smooth soul of ‘Our Love Has No Rhythm’ or the hints of ’80s pop that sporadically surface (most brazenly on the title track and ‘In Stillness We Remain’), the strikingly handsome singer’s hushed delivery is quite breathtaking. There are times – ‘Her Ghost’ or ‘Devotion’, for example – when the record threatens to stray into the MOR territory of, say, Dido, but when the songs are this honest and heartfelt, it's a forgivable transgression.
(NME)

Tracks like the sinewy “Her Ghost” make clear that the desolation plaguing many of the songs is rooted in a fragile purity. Propelled by wistful longing, Burgess sings, “I’ve got nothing to say to her ghost, hoping she’ll fade away,” earnestly bemoaning the torment of letting go. There’s an anguish that pours through her haunting vocals, which are layered over idyllic, pastoral keyboards. It’s as if to say the group is attempting to scrub the pain of heartache by contrasting the agony with romanticism.
At some points, Conversations wrestles with a sense of divergence, in effect creating some confusion in what they’re trying to achieve. “The Day That Needs Defending” seems to waver over awkward laser-like keyboards while Burgess erupts in a saccharine explosion of vocals. It’s somewhat of a misfit among the rest of the album, but it has the potential to resonate as a standalone track.
What sets Woman’s Hour apart from their emerging electropop counterparts is the masterful execution of their songwriting and production. There’s a dark, arcadian resonance around the songs that enforces empathy, even outright cheering for the group. The journey is incredibly easy to become emotionally invested in. For the most part, there is a stalwart consistency that interweaves through the tracks, Conversations feeling like the outcome of a thoughtful and heartfelt dialogue. And perhaps it’s this narrative that inspires the album title — giving wearied electropop fans renewed inspiration and involvement in the conversation.
(Consequence Of Sound)

Indeed, there’s a British sheen to these songs, but the band do cite Oxford legends Ride as an influence. Along with The Stone Roses and The Jesus And Mary Chain, so it makes sense.
Eastern Hollows don’t rely on the shoegaze  hallmarks though, the album only lightly nods its head that way. There’s very little pitch bending or destructive distortion, instead they rely on classic rock n’ roll with plenty of reverb and singable melodies. It’s an accessible record with a 90s frame of mind. Apart from the aforementioned singles, ‘Mickey Galaxy’ is a stand out. A dreamy slow burner that escalates over five plus minutes. Overall, Eastern Hollows is solid debut offering that ticks the boxes you’d expect but also has enough diversity to keep you listening. They’ve come a long way since releasing their ‘Days Ahead’ EP in 2012 and deserve all the praise coming to them.
(Sounds Better With Reverb)

Singer Travis DeVries has the feyness of voice all worked out too, somewhere between Ian Brown and Tim Burgess and Andy Bell and that guy from the Telescopes, the nothingness-as-a-virtue delivery as simultaneously frustrating and engaging as all of them. A level above the punningly named generation of covers outfits of today, it's also true to say that when he and his comrades are in that swirly, tremolo laden guitar effects world inhabited largely by the regulars of Snub TV, their analogies work out fine. Half of Days Ahead has also made it here, including the title track which sounds almost eerily reminiscent of The Cure, whilst Still Smile neatly boxes up their Ride/Roses obsession into one hybrid song, all quiet-loud ripples and 60's soaked melodies at the ready like ducks wadding neatly in a row.
When they vary the course however the sun hat doesn't quite fit. No one is saying you need to have been brought up in a back to back to write songs called Northern Lad, but well..it might've helped here, as what's normally lightweight turns into insipid. In a similar way Mickey Galaxy is a timely reminder that even viewed through from a nostalgic perspective, too much of the original stuff was barely nuanced, acres of sound alike filler which mistook it's haziness for atmosphere and drifted into nothingness.
It's a cautionary tale, but Eastern Hollows still has enough reverence to please the paunchy, receding faithful, despite it's clear derivation. Via The Way You've Gone the band are happy to climb up tempo and as a consequence poke the listener deeper into the dry ice, whilst Somewhere In My World strides slightly further back, it's tailor made for the Sarah label mantra making it one of the most precious sounding tunes you'll hear in 2014.
On what riches playing this brand of music will bring in the future, Hollows drummer Jeremy Sampson is very clear; “marry some models, divorce the models, a drug overdose or two, break up, reunion tour and then… do it all over again.” He's joking of course and if they were as Anglicised as the band's music sounds the answer would probably be something about having a cup of tea. Perhaps a bit too nice for their own good, Eastern Hollows are making the sounds of yesterday today, gamely resuscitating the corpse that Kurt made. Whether it's Frankenstein is down to you.
(Arctic Reviews)