Saint Lou Lou - 'Maybe You'

Saint Lou Lou - Maybe You

'Heartbreak pop'.  It's that specific strand of pop music that can easily make you want to dance one moment and cry uncontrollably in the foetal position the next (not that I've ever done this after hitting the repeat button on 'Dancing On My Own' too many times...).  The past year or so has had more than its fair share of heartbreak pop pioneers, the most obvious being Robyn and her incomparable ability to tell a story in her songs  so true that it's as though she's ripped a page from your diary.  Then there was Hurts, whose stoicism lent itself to very impressive visuals, but despite this their music leaving me cold more often than not and I haven't really listened to their album much since it came out.  Last year's album of choice was The Sound Of Arrows' 'Voyage', 57 minutes of hypnotic and dreamy sounds that I really can't fault in any way (My Shadow is one of my top ten favourite songs ever).  



Now, continuing the trend of duos whose sole aim appears to be daring their listeners to begin bawling on the dancefloor, comes Saint Lou Lou.  Devastatingly beautiful identical twins, their debut single 'Maybe You' is an utter delight in the vein of past 'sadpop' singles.  As a huge fan of The Sound Of Arrows, I can pay this song no higher compliment than saying that it would have fit perfectly on Voyage.  Seriously, it sounds like a bonus track sang by The Arrows' equally talented and equally melancholy younger sisters.  If anything, Saint Lou Lou's vocal delivery is more convincing than their male counterparts, as there's a slightly contradictory feel to the song.  The spoke/sung verses don't do much to prepare you for the chorus, which is both subdued and full of longing, desire and regret.  It packs a punch, albeit a punch after which you land on a million fluffy pillows (or clouds, songs like this always make me imagine roaming freely in the clouds.  I really don't know why).  Honestly, the song is pretty beautiful and moving and if there was any justice, Saint Lou Lou would release an album full of songs of this calibre, smash charts worldwide and become poster girls for great music everywhere.


But pop music is rarely fair and the chances are that this song is the very best they'll ever release, an oft-delayed album will sink without a trace and their music will be relegated to random episodes of teen dramas.  I live in hope...


4.5/5