Velocifero

iTunes Review

British trendsetters in the electro-pop arena, Ladytron have settled comfortably into their role as purveyors of stylishly cool, slightly gloomy, and inarguably sexy disco for the new age. Velocifero continues the move away from the band’s original, simpler synth-pop style to a more heavily layered sound with darker guitars, whip-cracking percussion, and icy electronics that sizzle on top of walls of reverb. Anyone who might think Hungarian is not a sexy language hasn’t heard vocalist Mira Aroyo in her native tongue on “Black Cat” and “Kletva,” sounding like a reprimanding lover on the former, and an international rock chanteuse on the latter. Aroyo shares more of the singing duties this time around with vocalist Helen Marnie (a native of Glasgow), whose sweeter, slightly waifish voice conjures a surprising gravitas on tracks like the regret-filled “Ghosts” (a perfect first single, the song takes flight the first few seconds and never comes down) and the dramatic closing track, “Versus.” Ladytron’s foray into a more sophisticated and global expression offers a musical palette of deeper hues and shades than that of past decades. Atmospheric and haunting, Velocifero stays with the listener well after the music has stopped.