DMW: Digital Music W...

For the past week and a half, I've been listening to Ladytron's latest on heavy repeat on my iPod. Some fans would argue that Velocifero is similar to Witching Hour while others think otherwise.

Photo by Stephane Gallois

I am standing by my first proclamation and that is Velocifero rocks hard. It really rocks hard. I think its their most un-shoe gazey sounding release yet. Sure it has some elements that remind us of their earlier works in songs like "Runaway", "I'm Not Scared" and "The Lovers" but the rest of the album is driven by strong percussions and more Mira Aroyo. The album is balanced with equal vocal duties between Helen Marnie and Mira while Daniel Hunt and Reuben Wu continue to shine on keyboards. What's really interesting about this release is that each song is well-done rhythmically. The band literally had one day off after wrapping up their never ending Witching Hour tour last year before they flew to Paris, France to start recording. To hear these tracks, you have to appreciate the band and their work thus far. Also of note, the band never seems to keep the same label with every album release. This time, the band signed with Nettwerk - home of Sarah McLachlan and Avril Lavigne among others.

Back to the album. All the tracks are memorable and strong. You would think that the album would crap out after "Season of Illusions" but thankfully it doesn't. In fact, it gets stronger, faster and better. There's no half-way point in this album that divides the listening exeperience. It is what the title suggests - it brings speed. "They Gave You a Heart, They Gave You a Name", "Ghosts", "Black Cat", "Deep Blue", "Tomorrow", "Versus", "Burning Up", "Predict the Day" are all good tracks. One song, "Kletva", has Mira covering a famous Bulgarian tune that apparently every Bulgarian born after 1970 would know by heart. At first, I didn't think too much of it. But after delving on the net to find out what the lyrics were, I now have an appreciation for the song and why Mira wanted to cover it. Here's the song in its Bulgarian Broadway show-like glory:

The clip is from a Bulgarian movie titled "Vchera".

Nine Inch Nails collaborator Allessandro Cortini and Vicarious Bliss helped co-produce the album. It explains why some songs sound heavier while others seem to remain within its synth roots.

Now I will post my personal highlights - first reactions - from each track.

1. Black Cat - The first track is a song sung by Mira Aroyo. Yay! And in Bulgarian... wait, this is the first track? Wait a second... has this happened before? Wow, listen to those drums and the synths. Pretty strong.

2. Ghosts - Catchy tune. Makes sense why its the first single. Although, I wish Helen had more lyrics. Otherwise, I like the tune.

3. I'm Not Scared - Remnants of previous Ladytron releases can be heard in this. Its fast and dark.

4. Runaway - New wave opening notes harken back to circa 1980. I think Helen sings about a unicorn being killed. I dunno. The track is all about synths.

5. Season of Illusions - Mira Aroyo sings in English. Holy crap! This track is the kind that grows on you. At first pass-through you're thinking this can't be Mira. But then you slowly accept it and start grooving to it.

6. Burning Up - I like this tune. I'm partial to songs about burning yourself up for someone or something. Like that Springsteen song "I'm on Fire" - one of my faves. Anyway, Helen sings "I've set myself on fire without you... without you..." and I'm thinking boy Helen really liked that person a lot... or maybe she's alluding to menopause or extremely high levels of mitochondria or masturbation. You be the judge.

7. Kletva - This song is a fan favorite for the sheer fact that Mira is covering a famous Bulgarian song that's rife with political overtones, brotherhood and freedom fighting. Translation of the song title - "oath". It sounds nothing like that video I posted above. Nothing.

8. They Gave You a Heart, They Gave You a Name - My first reaction to the tune was is this about clones? Robots? I like dancing to it. But I can't help conjuring this picture in my mind of some sort of artificial intelligence. Maybe its about an iDog?

9. Predict the Day - The tune is cluby. At least it starts off that way with the whistling sounds. Then it switches up into a rock tune with churning guitars and drums pounding; it sets you into a dance frenzy.

10. The Lovers - Columbian band Somekong put some caffeine into this track. I swear to God that was my first reaction. The song itself is short. Really short. Its the shortest track on the album clocking in at 2:39.

11. Deep Blue - This is my favorite track on the album. There's something about the beat of this song that reminds me of Grace Jones. Mira sounds sensual on this track. This is the kind of song you expect to hear in a club where people are grinding their hips and whatnot against each other on the dance floor.

12. Tomorrow - Catchy track. I have a feeling this would be the second single. Its got that hook. What is Helen singing about? A car or a f*ck buddy? Or something else.

13. Versus - Daniel and Helen duet! Its almost like a nod to Lee Greenwood (who passed away last year) and Nancy Sinatra. The lyrics make no sense but that doesn't really matter. The song is all about similie.

So there you go. To compare it to Witching Hour would be a disservice. The album stands on its own. It has a life of its own and you can sense that the band has an idea of what sound they feel comfortable pursuing. I like the album. I also like the fact that i have repeated the entire album 6 times already and have replayed "Versus" over 13 times. Obviously I like the weird song.