Little Boots Deserves Her Dance Party

By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on Jun 9, 2009 8:15PM

If Lady GaGa is '80s-era Madonna then Little Boots is her artsier new-millennial little sister. So why does it seem like she's being held back from GaGa levels of success?

Little Boots' Stateside debut, the Illuminations EP, consists of 5 tracks, most of which are already widely available elsewhere online. While it does make for a decent introduction for folks completely unaware of her presence, it seems ill-timed considering her actual full-length debut, Hands, came out yesterday overseas. We understand that American is a bigger market and her label is trying to control her introduction here, but Little Boots is already riding a groundswell of buzz based on her singles and aa handful of U.S. appearances, so why don't the powers at be just release heer full length and allow it to grow? Something like Little Boots' "Remedy" is begging to become a club hit sneaking its way onto the mainstream Top 40 ... so let it!

Until then, we have to make do with Illuminations, and as we said, it is a dandy primer. "New In Town" and "Stuck On Repeat" are electro-pop gems taken from her debut album and are set to steam up clubs and compel rollerskate divas to rub up all over skinny tied boys. Non-album tracks "Magical" and "Not Now" aren't quite as entrancing and feel slightly underdone in the mushy middle of the EP. We dig the "Ring Your bell" vibe of "Magical," but it just ain't enough. Luckily a rousing camped-up and turbo charged cover of Freddy Mercury's "Love Kills" send the EP out on a high note.

So, until Hands hits our shores, the Illuminations EP will have to make do. We just hope that the hunger it builds in its listeners is sustainable until Little Boots has a chance to drop her full length on us.

Little Boots is scheduled to play The Empty Bottle September 17. No word if her full-length will be out by then...