Smooth Sailing in Paradise.

You might know La Roux from their 2009 breakout hit, “Bulletproof.”  What was previously a duo is now just singer Elly Jackson, and she’s just released the second album under the La Roux name.  Trouble In Paradise is a complete shift from the first album, and it’s proving to be a good sign.

The tracks on this album as a whole are more grown up- instead of the heavy synth, new wave sound, the songs are a bit slower and a little more mature.  If you’re searching for another “Bulletproof,” you won’t find it, but you should still give the album a try.

La Roux’s first single off the new album, “Uptight Downtown,” is out of the 1980s.  With synth sounds and a funky disco vibe, it’s an upbeat juxtaposition to the notion of being uptight.  “Uptight downtown / All the blue lights fighting with the crowds / And oh, I know the temperature is rising, is rising.”

Both “Sexotheque” and “Cruel Sexuality” prove the maturity of the album, but don’t expect a 2014 type of sexiness in these tracks.  “Cruel Sexuality” has a driving bass riff throughout the song under Jackson’s smooth vocals.  “Cruel sexuality / am I a fool? / to let you trouble me?” As for “Sexotheque,” simple drums begin the track as light chords take over.  This track is probably the most reminiscent of La Roux’s first album, but it has a lightness to it that is almost perfect for summer. “She wants to know he’s not home / oh that money, money, money, I bet / he’s at the sexotheque.” Again, the title is slightly deceiving, but it’s still a great and laid back dance tune.

The only track that seems questionable is “Silent Partner.”  The song comes in at seven minutes long, but could easily be cut down to half that time.  It’s the bounciest of the tracks but it repeats the same beat without a transition into another portion of music.

La Roux’s new sound is a little older and slightly retro, but still as catchy as it once was.  The song titles may seem slightly deceiving, but it does deliver danceable tunes that are happy and upbeat.