Ladytron — The Witching Hour

Ladytron came before electroclash so they're not part of that terrible trend, but there's no doubt the stylish quartet were heavily affected by being labeled as such in most of their press. Since the whole repetitive synth-pop thing is dead regardless, Ladytron do an about-face on The Witching Hour, far and away their most ambitious LP, not to mention their darkest.

By the haunting second track, "Destroy Everything You Touch," it's pretty obvious they're out of "They only want you when you're 17, when you're 21, you're no fun" territory. I don't personally mind Mira Aroyo's speak-sing vocals, but she's barely used on this record and on her first contribution, "amTV," she actually sings. It's highly indicative of where Ladytron's sound is heading. Helena Marnie, in turn, owns the entire affair, her vocals soaring over Ladytron's heavy new sound. The Witching Hour is an excellent departure for a band who always seem to stay one baby step ahead of the rest.

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