Little Boots - Hands

Rating: * * *

Verdict

:

Modelled on the masters, Little Boots is pure escapism.

She looks like Sienna Miller, she sounds like Ladyhawke-meets-Kylie Minogue.

The Brits are billing her as the brightest new star of 2009 and the sound of the future.

But don't be fooled by the hype. Victoria Hesketh's - aka Little Boots - debut record Hands is an infectious beast of a record, but it is nothing you haven't heard before.

Electro beats, hushed vocals and simple lyrics come together to form perfect, disposable pop tunes that will plague your head for days.

Less contrived than Lady Gaga, Little Boots still subscribes to the same school of music-making.

Hands

is a predictable collection of dance anthems and electro ballads - with the occasional splash of saccharine twee pop. The one-word track titles are primed to takeover the singles charts -

Click, Remedy, Meddle, Mathematics, Symmetry

; their simplicity reflecting the tone of the record at large.

This is pop music at its most base level. Don't bother looking for hidden depths or profound insights to life, just close your eyes and dance. As Little Boots sings on

Remedy

, "I will not be frozen / Dancing is my remedy."

While

Hands

is sure to burn a hole in a dancefloor near you, don't expect a lasting love affair with it.

Like a trashy novel or Hugh Grant film, it is escapism at its most accessible. But hardly a revolution.

- Joanna Hunkin