Ladytron

Throwing out terms like electroclash, electro-pop, shoegaze, glam rock, shuffle-glam, dream pop, electro-synth and all of the other hair-splitting machinations of those who judge music from within a genre, but one question remains.

"Does it reach out and grab you?"

Given that a full once-through has more of a barbiturate effect on the brain than the UK quartet's ear-catching, fresh rework of a dying sound on their previous album Witching Hour, the answer would be a resounding "no."

When they first splashed on the scene, Ladytron was taking their Depeche Mode and New Order influences and giving a fresh, turntable-infused take on the sound of their wintry predecessors. As Depeche Mode and New Order are slowly being relegated to kitsch appeal in the mainstream consciousness of 2008, Ladytron seems to oblige the retreat into obscurity of their forebearers by parroting only themselves on their latest effort, rather than keeping the spirit alive by conjuring up something fresh.

There are, however, standout tracks that punctuate the melancholy muddiness. The album starts off in promising fashion with "Black Cat," but then abandons any adventurous sense of melody or interplay between music and lyrics for a few songs, descending into three tracks of tepid monotony. "Runaway" is particularly annoying and repetitive; it can't be a good sign when you can start singing all of the lyrics to a song halfway through your first time listening to it.

"Season of Illusions" has a solid melody and actually features some vocal fluctuations (a welcome change from the three prior songs). "Predict the Day" is easily the standout track on the album, with an electro-staccato production style that actually intermingles with the vocals to create something haunting and greater than the sum of the parts.

In a nutshell, Velocifero represents an evolutionary follow-up to Ladytron’s mainstream breakout effort Witching Hour. If you were a fan of that album, they offer up what can only be called calculated recreations of its best moments. If you enjoyed Hour, then you will likely dig Velocifero.

Just don't come knocking here looking for music that is instantly gripping or transcendent.

—Chris Nelson
06.17.08