Let Me Take You Out

Listening to “Let Me Take You Out” by Class Actress in 2025 feels like hearing the sound of promise unfulfilled. When the single from their first EP, Journal of Ardency came out in 2010, it seemed like the start of a band destined to make a mark. The song was even used in a car commercial. Though “Let Me Take You Out” was different than the rest of the group’s more synth-pop-oriented songs, it showcased the strength of Elizabeth Harper’s vocals.¹ Harper’s voice was compared with Blondie’s Debbie Harry and Saint Etienne’s Sarah Cracknell. The New Order vibes were strong as well.

Ultimately, Elizabeth Harper and her collaborator Mark Richards only released one full-length album under the Class Actress moniker, Rapprocher in 2011. To the casual observer, with only a trickle of smaller releases after the long player, it seemed like Harper disappeared into her own Class Actress persona. Her embrace of glamour and excess as that persona, as well as shedding her primary musical partner felt like they swallowed her creativity.

Class Actress - Let Me Take You Out (YouTube)

It appears to be difficult to even find the Journal of Ardency EP on a decent-quality digital format at this point.

1. When I saw them live, Harper referred to the track as “the guitar song” to the soundman. It stood on its own. ↩︎