October 12, 2011

New Music: Ladytron Seduces 'Gravity' with New Album



Electronic musical acts can be a perilous thing. Managing a fine balance between synthetic tones and a certain rock guitar feel takes a careful balance and formula. Ladytron, the new wave, electro synth pop act from Liverpool, continues to do just that.

The British act's fifth studio album Gravity the Seducer goes for it once again. As the name suggests the record tries to seduce the listener musically. I'm undecided if it actually achieved this, but am still intrigued by the overall sound. With only a cursory familiarity of their previous works, I came to the album relatively fresh.

Upon further look, their discography seems very eclectic with every album straying artistically from the preceding one. The instrumentals and vocals take turns in terms of centre stage between records. The musical notes of emotion and dreamlike psychedelia loop through your brain endlessly.

Gravity the Seducer feels more or less fluid with smooth transitions. The dreamy essence and sound quality feels haunting in a way. The record illustrates an intense abstract, moody atmosphere. Sadly, the same mixed flow and nature makes the album as a whole kind of sporadic and less than cohesive at times. It's not quite the sharpest effort, but not entirely a mixed bag either.

On the whole, Gravity is a rather atmospheric, space fantasy with a flow making it structurally more like a soundtrack than a straightforward album. Its a time warp experience reminds you of 1970s girl pop with a contemporary twist.

Without ever getting too depressing, Ladyton expresses a melancholic hysteria, oddly full of tempered energy and thoughtfulness. I'm not entirely sold or know quite what to make of it. However, Gravity the Seducer has a strange, intriguing essence begging to be revisited.

Co-written by Christina Luo.


Photo | Diego Figueroa / Peter Baker

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