La Roux Teases Supervision in Kingston
La Roux is back with Supervision – her third album in total, her second as a solo act, but the first as an independent artist. Five years in the making, the record is shaping up to be a sleek, groovy affair, referencing late 70s/early 80s funk and disco, on a par with the brilliant Trouble in Paradise. Her last Saturday’s promo gig at Pryzm in London was the first public showcase of the new material, and a warm up for the proper tour, which kicks off tonight – get tickets here!
Clad in her soon-to-be iconic IWOL bomber jacket, Elly Jackson came up on stage with confidence and focus, as if the nearly four year long break from touring – her longest yet – hasn’t happened. Supported by a newly recruited three-piece band (bassists Fernando Sanchez and Louis Sommer, and percussionist Karl Bossche), she performed the 50-minute, 10-song set rhythmically bouncing around the stage adorned with potted ficuses, ferns, and calla-like plants, a decor reminiscent of both La Roux’s recent photoshoot for The Guardian and Trouble in Paradise artwork.
The show kicked off with “Uptight Downtown”, and the first three songs reminded that Elly is as much a singer as a skilled guitarist. The fans cheered every time she went for the guitar, which she did more often than on previous tours. She held on to it for the entire duration of “Sexotheque” – a hit single that sadly never was. Clearly a fan favourite, the track had the enthusiastic audience sing along its catchy lyrics.
The set unveiled three more tracks from the new album: “21st Century”, dominated by Elly’s trademark falsetto, George Michael-like “Everything I Live For”, and “Otherside”, with a terrific outro I prayed would go on forever – and it did! Caribbean instruments, especially pleasant cowbells, nearly swapped icy Kingston in South London for the Jamaican capital of the same name.
The latest single “Automatic Driver” is likely to become another concert highlight, judging by the crowd’s response. “Where are your golf outfits?”, Elly joked, alluding to its music video. She then made the audience jump to “Cruel Sexuality” and operate an invisible steering wheel to the empowering anthem “International Woman of Leisure”. The latter is destined to be a euphoric finale on the upcoming tour.
Early material was understandably limited to a minimum. “I fucking hate ‘Bulletproof’ ”, she snapped in deadpan manner before introducing a new, more sophisticated version of the number 1 song, which by now she must have played hundreds of times. A little disappointing was the omission of the recent single “Gullible Fool”, considering that Elly has described it as “the most special and meaningful song on the record”. With its long, looped piano outro and emotional lyrics, the track would have been one of the brightest moments of this live set.
Elly promised to never again make us wait five years for another album. These days, such a declaration made in public can easily be filmed and put up online for everyone to take you at your word. And so we will at some point, but for now, we’ll relish in Supervision (out this Friday).
Setlist: “Uptight Downtown” / “Sexotheque” / “Otherside” / “Automatic Driver” / “Bulletproof” / “21st Century” / “Cruel Sexuality” / “Everything I Live For” / “In for the Kill” / “International Woman of Leisure”
