Album Review: Witching Hour by Ladytron

Despite a three-year wait, Ladytron sounds fresher and more vital than ever on their triumphant third album, Witching Hour. While the label problems that sidelined the album's release must have been frustrating, in some ways the delay works in the band's favor: though they were momentarily (and somewhat opportunistically) lumped in with the electroclash movement, Ladytron always had a stronger sense of melody and pop songcraft than most of the other artists associated with that style, and with electroclash all but dead, the band's identity comes through even more clearly. Much darker and less overtly synth pop than any of their earlier work, Witching Hour is almost unrelentingly gloomy, covering topics like the fleeting nature of relationships, destruction, and war.

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Ladytron have been known to get inspiration from playing Joy Division while cruising Sunset Strip in an open-top Cadillac. They are also known for wearing black and, for their previous album, Light and Magic, utilitarian workwear - which only strengthened the general impression that this two-boy, two-girl outfit were an aloof and detached bunch. For this, their third and best album, they've added colour to their wardrobe and guitars to their electro-pop, as well as writing their most compelling tunes yet: Sugar and International Dateline are both steeped in mystique, with hummable melodies.

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