La Roux is gearing for the release of her fourth album (or fifth, if we count that unreleased should-have-been album number 3). After a string of dates in the US and Paris, she played two intimate concerts at The Lower Third in London’s Soho on 2 and 3 May. Of course, I was there on the first night, even though I had a morning plane to catch. Everything for La Roux!

At 9 pm sharp, Elly marched confidently onto stage to a somewhat haunting intro (and a rapturous applause). It’s hard to believe that, apart from a handful of guest appearances, this was her first full gig in the UK in over five years!

Hits and deep cuts

Elly and her two-piece band, Louis Sommer and Dani Diodato, opened with “Automatic Driver”, a fan favourite from Supervision, and the only song from that album. I like how the tempo slowed down towards the end, before segueing smoothly into “Tropical Chancer”.

Understandably weary of the monster hits from the first album, she let the audience sing good chunks of “In for the Kill”. Later on, she replaced her biggest hit with the Chromeo-remixed version “Discoproof”. But she also did “Colourless Colour”, a brilliant album track she seems to like enough to include it in every live set.

She did over a half of Trouble in Paradise, her most acclaimed album yet, beloved by all La Roux devotees. Instead of a sax solo in the outro of “Let Me Down Gently”, there was a guitar part. “Cruel Sexuality” had a stronger bassline than on the album version, and it made me like it even more.

“Sexotheque” sparked the most enthusiasm from the audience. Shame on Polydor Records for not letting Elly release it as a single! The fact that over a decade on, it’s still one of her most streamed tracks, speaks for itself. It could have been a massive hit in the summer of 2014. And somewhere in a parallel universe, it was… As an encore, Elly played a stripped-back version of it.

New songs!

The true stars of the show were the three, still yet to be released new tracks. “Cabin Fever” is about seeking comfort in self-isolation which ends up imprisoning you. In “Lose Myself”, Elly recounts her experience with cannabis. The song opens quietly before catching you off guard with the explosive chorus.

“Babyline” is an upbeat tune which Elly teased on Instagram a couple of years back. “This is one of my favourites,” she said to the crowd. “This is a summer chill vibe, but I fucking love it. Please love it.” Well, I do love it! It’s my favourite out of the three so far.

Not much is known about the new album, aside from it being influenced by the early noughties R&B. In a recent interview, Elly refused to share the title, but told us to look for Easter eggs. Her bomber jacket had “Old Flames” printed on the back that night. Could that be the hint?

Setlist

“Automatic Driver”, “Tropical Chancer”, “In for the Kill”, “Uptight Downtown”, “Cabin Fever”, “Let Me Down Gently”, “Colourless Colour”, “I’m Not Your Toy”, “Cruel Sexuality”, “Babyline”, “Sexotheque”, “Discoproof”, “Lose Myself”, “Sexotheque” (Acoustic)