Trouble in Paradise

Elly Jackson is the best kind of cyberdiva – brassy, hooky, nearly invulnerable. On La Roux’s second LP, her vintage synth-pop magnificence (see 2009’s hit “Bulletproof”) has warmed into the sort of electro-disco drama you imagine the Daft Punk robots blasting as they cruise down Highway 1. “Paradise Is You” is a Phil Spector-ish evocation of Sixties girl-group ache; “Sexotheque” rides wiry Nile Rodgers-style funk guitar. The track that most recalls Jackson’s debut with exmember Ben Langmaid, “Silent Partner,” is a harsh kiss-off. (Hmm.) But it’s also a reminder of how brilliantly the pair reanimated synth-pop style. Trouble suggests Jackson’s in for the long haul.