La Roux Old Flames
Released Nov 6, 2026 Vertigo Abbey Road Recordings
Consensus forming 3 professional reviews Updated Nov 7, 2026
Mostly positive consensus
Consensus is still forming across 3 professional reviews. La Roux's Old Flames turns the fallout of a relationship into sleek, emotionally exposed pop, with a 90s R&B tint that gives its heartbreak a fresh pulse.
How ChoruScore worksCritics' Top Tracks
The songs critics returned to most
Babyline
1 critic mention
“It’s a hard-won realisation on a grownup breakup album that suggests it’s OK not to be bulletproof after all.” — The Guardian
Night Vision
1 critic mention
Old Flames (Intro)
1 critic mention
“Old Flames begins strongly with a scene-setting intro, car wipers in the rain washing away the old La Roux and her relationship.” — The Skinny
Full critic consensus
La Roux's Old Flames turns the fallout of a relationship into sleek, emotionally exposed pop, with a 90s R&B tint that gives its heartbreak a fresh pulse. The album’s critical consensus is favorable but measured: it earns a 73.33/100 score across three professional reviews, which praise its strongest hooks and moments of romantic honesty while suggesting that its best material takes time to emerge.
Critics agree that the record’s shift toward warmer R&B-inflected production brings welcome contrast to its more claustrophobic opening. “Cabin Fever” is a standout, singled out for its sexy energy and lyrical spice, while “Babyline” turns vulnerability into a hopeful moment of self-acceptance. “Night Vision” also makes an impression, setting crushing lyrics against breezy production; “Falling” draws notice for its synths and 90s pop echoes. Other highlights include the buoyant “To Make Our Love” and soulful, catchy “I Just Keep Crying.” Together, these songs trace heartbreak toward moving on, without pretending recovery means becoming invulnerable.
The reviews differ on how quickly the album’s reinvention comes into focus. One hears a strong opening and immediate highlights, while another finds the best songs reveal themselves after repeated listens; the warm production and melodic turns are more persuasive than a uniformly gripping run. Still, the critical reception points to a distinctive, intimate new chapter for La Roux, and the standout tracks make Old Flames worth exploring for listeners drawn to synth pop with a soulful, candid edge.
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
Old Flames (Intro)
Cabin Fever
Lose Myself
Falling
To Make Our Love
Your Lover
Final Fantasy
Night Vision
I Just Keep Crying
Babyline
Old Flames (Reprise)
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What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 4 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
La Roux begins Old Flames in fraught, claustrophobic territory, but the best songs on the album turn heartbreak into kinetic, hook-laden pop. “To Make Our Love” bounces along on warm production, while “Night Vision” pairs crushing lyrics with top-down breeziness. Then “Babyline” offers a sun-dappled, hard-won realisation: it’s OK not to be bulletproof after all.
Key Points
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“Babyline” is the standout for turning heartbreak into a sun-dappled, hard-won realisation.
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The album’s core strength is dressing even devastating relationship songs in enticing hooks and warm, kinetic production.
Themes
mu
Critic's Take
La Roux is back with a new sound on Old Flames, and it begins strongly with a scene-setting intro. Then it’s the album’s highlight: “Cabin Fever” has the sexy vibes and lyrical spice, while “Lose Myself” and “Falling” could be 90s angst-ridden Michael Jackson.
Key Points
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“Cabin Fever” is the best song, singled out as the album’s highlight for its sexy vibes and lyrical spice.
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The album’s strongest moments pair Jackson’s neon synth pop with warmed-up R'n'B beats, though the reviewer finds too much Europop later on.
Themes
St
Critic's Take
La Roux turns to 90s R&B on Old Flames, and the best tracks on the album start to show through once you’ve let it all swirl round a few times. The synthed-up chimes of “Falling” recall Annie Lennox, while “I Just Keep Crying” is catchy and soulful, bigger than its status as a brief chapter in the story. “Babyline” brings the most hopeful moment, and “Your Lover” and “Night Vision” are soft and sexy, quietly confident.
Key Points
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“Babyline” is the album’s most hopeful track, turning toward a new beginning.
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The album’s layered, nostalgic R&B sound opens up on repeat listens, with “Falling,” “I Just Keep Crying,” “Your Lover,” and “Night Vision” among its strongest moments.