Coming just months after their greatest hits collection, Ladytron's 5th album ushers in a wistful, downtempo era, and in a move last seen with Britney Spears's Radar single - Ace Of Hz, a new track made for Best Of 00-10 - has disappointingly crept onto this album's tracklist as well.
Admittedly, it fits in better here than amongst the gothic bombast found on the compilation, but added to the three instrumentals, one of which is an elevator-esque version of the above, there's a distinct air of filler on Gravity The Seducer.
Official first single and opener White Elephant sets the tone with its dreamlike quality, wafting through its 4-minute duration like a debutante at a party. It completes the transition from the rock-influenced tones of their last album, making it clear that this release is a gentle tap on the shoulder compared to the winning punch of Velocifero.
Second single Mirage picks up the pace a little, and Ambulances is a captivating mix of trip-hop and melancholia, not too far from Mono's Life In Mono.
The majority of tracks are sung by de facto frontwoman Helen Marnie, so it's a shame that Bulgarian singer Mira Aroyo (the group's unique selling point), has just a measly 2 tracks here. The set's midpoints are the brooding Moon Palace and Altitude Blues, and prove to be album highlights.
Overall, the tracks are noticeably shorter than on the band's previous efforts - a relief as oftentimes great tracks like Ghosts or Seventeen have suffered from repetition and overly-long instrumental segments. A sci-fi feel prevails - indeed many tracks sound tailor-made for a galactic video game. Even the album cover looks like a snapshot of a faraway planet.
Basically...
Ladytron's softer approach doesn't quite pay off. The poetic, obscure lyrics and Helen's cool, disaffected vocals keep proceedings familiar, although none of the tracks are as infectious as Blue Jeans or Destroy Everything You Touch. The ethereal harmonies and enigmatic themes are a bit like Enya in space, and whilst the cosmic riffs and twinkles work well, the intricate production somewhat drowns the vocals. A real change of pace would have been a happy, upbeat and accessible piece. As it stands, their 5th album in just over a decade harbours no surprises.
