Little Boots – Nocturnes

Big Sounds from Little Boots

Victoria Christina Hesketh was nicknamed Little Boots by a friend in reference to her abnormally tiny feet. But the buck stops right there when it comes to anything else being small about this electro-pop singer-songwriter. Originally part of the synth-pop band Dead Disco, Little Boots struck out on her own and in 2009 she released her first full-length album, Hands. Since then she has been growing in popularity within the electro-pop scene, and today she is a power-house lady to be reckoned with. Little Boots’s new album, Nocturnes (out now on Repeat Records), firmly stakes this point into the ground.

The album has the nostalgic grooves of a great ’90s dance record: there’s nothing too crazy to be found on Nocturnes, but it’s a good one to turn on for those summer backyard parties coming up. Among the electric frizz, beautiful string numbers add a whimsical undertone to the entire album. A highlight is found in “Crescendo” – a track-one, side-A worthy song for that mix tape you’ve been mulling over to give to your significant other, but that you’re not sure whether you want to dump or not. It’s lighthearted and simple in structure, but the lyrics leave you sad and vulnerable, like a song worth its salt should. Really, all ten tracks on this album are moving in their own way and worth a listen.

The 29-year-old British DJ Little Boots has certainly delivered the goods with Nocturnes. It’s an album you can dance to, laugh with, and feel to – which is quite a feat to achieve within the electro-world of heavy beats aimed to make you experience the music rather than connect with it. Little Boots has had quite a run in her four-year solo career and Nocturnes is a great indication that there will be more brilliance to come.