Boots Camp

Little Boots (aka Victoria Hesketh) is the best thing to happen to the thigh-high since Beyoncé strutted her way through Austin Powers in Goldmember as Foxxy Cleopatra.

Hands — her much-hyped 2009 debut (finally getting a proper U.S. release March 2) with production help from Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard, The Bird and The Bee’s Greg Kurstin and Simian Mobile Disco’s Jas Shaw — is a dancing, leaping, jumping blend of 80’s synth-pop, big beat drums and hooks galore. The Human League’s Phil Oakey stops by for a stentorian duet on the shimmery “Symmetry.” Also included are her Kylie-licious European singles "Meddle," "Remedy," "Earthquake," “Stuck On Repeat” and “New in Town.” (Illuminations, an EP released here last year, contains a must-have cover of Freddie Mercury's "Love Kills" that's not on the album).

This Soho boho Gaga-esque goddess — winner of The BBC’s “Sound of 2009” survey — revs her synths into overdrive for some hand-clapping, foot-stomping instant classics. She even takes on Northern Soul for a future spin on the bopping “Meddle.” Despite her diminutive name, anyone following in her footsteps will have some pretty big boots to fill.


Hands will be available March 2 from Elektra Records.