Ladytron: Velocifero

It’s been a bit of time since Ladytron released their last album in 2005, and as all good electro bands should, they’ve advanced with times but also plumbed the depths of the past to refine the sound they truly established as their own with Witching Hour, the album that took them from a good band to a great band way back in ‘05. That album’s follow-up, Velocifero, is a non-stop electroclash barrage with a thicker, fuller sound then its predecessor. The formula is same for Ladytron however, programmed drumming, throbbing Joy Division-esque bass, atmospheric synths, and swirling, effects laden guitars. But, whereas Witching Hour is an electroclash album with strong shoegaze influences, Velocifero is the opposite. If you could possible imagine what a Rio-era Duran Duran and My Bloody Valentine collaboration would sound like, you’d be at least in the right mindset to get this. The atmosphere is laid on heavily, and the layers of sound wash over one another like a Cocteau Twins song, but is driven with propulsive rhythms and jagged electronics. The other big change to Ladytron’s sound is actually a change back to the duel vocalist set-up used on their first two albums (604 and Light & Magic), so fans of Bulgarian vocalist Mira Aroyo will be pleased to know she shares the spotlight with Helen Marnie almost equally.
Listen ("Black Cat")