EP of the Ish: Little Boots Issue #38

Stuck on Repeat EP (IAMSOUND)

By Britt Julious
Published: December 1st, 2008 | 12:00am

An addictive array of dirty synth immediately brands “Stuck on Repeat” by Little Boots as a track on the rise. The song, at nearly seven minutes long, is a triumphant debut that’s at no loss for charm. Clearly designed for the dance floor, the combination of thick, pulsating electronics and angelic vocals is a delight. Blackpool’s Victoria Hesketh knows what she’s doing. Bringing in Joe Goddard of Hot Chip to produce was a stroke of genius, as evidenced by the runaway success of her first single — not to mention a covetable showing at this year’s CMJ Music Marathon.

This past year, Hesketh’s popularity on the independent dance and electronic scenes skyrocketed. The 25-year-old (and former lead singer of UK-based electro rock trio Dead Disco), broke out from the once-popular rock scene to make her own music under the unique moniker, based on the film about the Roman emperor Caligulia (Latin for “little boots”).

After first releasing “Stuck on Repeat” anonymously to music blogs and MySpace, buzz about the highly addictive single and its unknown singer grew. In previous interviews, Hesketh — whose influences include Kylie Minogue, Kate Bush, and Miley Cyrus — noted that the anonymity was not a calculated move, but hype around the singer grew regardless. She’s not completely alone in her venture, either. Popular electronic producers — such as Goddard, Metronomy, and Greg Kurstin (the male half of The Bird and The Bee) — joined forces with the enigmatic vocalist to work on this EP and an upcoming LP.

“Meddle,” Little Boots’ latest single is less distinct than “Stuck on Repeat,” with its likeability driven by the similarities that can be drawn from its production. Like the first single, “Meddle” is catchy and danceable. However, the production touches of Goddard are at time overwhelming. Whereas “Stuck on Repeat” was unique because of its minimal, beat-heavy synths, “Meddle” sounds eerily similar to work by Hot Chip — as if Goddard discarded the song before awkwardly retooling it for Hesketh. Despite the shortcomings of “Meddle,” the EP serves as a sleek introduction to Hesketh’s new brand of disco.

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Little Boots' official website

Little Boots' Myspace page