Ladytron - Ladytron

Ladytron
Ladytron
2019
Spotify

Ladytron have never been one to see the bright side of the world. They take a dark, nihilistic view of what is happening on our planet even when things are going well, so it's no surprise with the fear and anger floating around in the world today that this album reflects that even further. Their music has this weird quality of being both light and dark at the same time. "Far From Home" sounds like some kind of sinister carnival with these highly effected vocals and a sound that is eerie from the start. There is this deadpan vitriol that exists in their music unlike anything I've heard before. Their aggression is almost like Grimes, but a bit less shrill and more unaffected. It's like the world is falling apart around them but they are going to keep on doing what they do. "Paper Highways" was written about a California wildfire from two years ago. There were images online of cars driving on the 405 through tons of smoke and flames that looked almost otherworldly. The sun setting through the smoke is a haunting image and one that Ladytron evoke perfectly. It's a slow burning aggression, almost like a more in control of themselves Crystal Castles. The album feels like it is being performed in the ruins of civilization, with bewildered people roaming around allowing the music to encapsulate their anger at what the world has become.

The album keeps you off balance, constantly checking in to see where you are and what is going on. It has an almost shoegaze quality at times where you can just sort of get lost in the fuzz. The songs are all distinct and don't blend together, but there is this throughline that stays with you throughout the entire album. Everything feels like a unified voice of disillusion. You would expect with all this anger towards the state of things that Ladytron would have an answer or some kind of way forward, but that is not the point. They don't want to propose any kind of solution because the idea is to sit in the negativity and allow it to overtake you. It becomes this wall of sound, a constant pounding against you pulling you deeper and deeper down a hole with them. It's an enjoyable experience at time and a terrifying one at others. It's a wild album from an even stranger band, and one that I did not think I would like as much as I do. It just goes to show you that you can be surprised by anything if you keep your ears open.

7.0 out of 10