“Meddle”
from the EP Arecibo
2008
iTunes
Dead Disco’s Victoria Hesketh is here with her cutely-monikered solo project, led by a debut single which, given the current climate, sounds easily capable of making a wave or two in the separate realms of dancefloor and chart.
While the emergence of a couple of Little Boots tracks in the past few months or so has helped spread the word in the run-up to the release of this Joe Goddard-produced number, it is clear that “Meddle” is a notably different kettle of fish to the likes of her retro-tinged bangers such as “Stuck on Repeat” and “Magical.”
That’s not to say that it doesn’t hit the spot; the track opens up with a pulsating set of beats and “yeah” samples, leading us down a crunchy electro-strewn hip-hop path before Hesketh’s soulful vocal line hits home with unrelenting sassiness. Meanwhile, the chorus drops pretty quickly, coming to the fore in all its punchy, infectious glory, seemingly equipped for extensive radio play and subsequent longevity in the ears of the British public.
There is certainly a well-defined pop edge to “Meddle” which should stand it in good stead come the time of release, but the track also appears primed for some chunky remixes to help enhance its appeal even further. There’s one floating around at the moment courtesy of Sheffield’s Toddla T, which sounds like something akin to the result of M.I.A. and Timbaland getting together for a jerky jam session.
This single is an encouraging continuation of the Little Boots portfolio, providing more proof of the reality that Hesketh is genuinely comfortable in a wide range of sonic styles, and you get the feeling that this could well be her breakthrough moment.