On
Light & Magic
, the follow-up to the critically acclaimed
604
,
Ladytron
do indeed bring on the special effects, adding denser arrangements, more complex melodies, and processed vocals to their brand of spooky, stylish
synth pop
. Like
Chicks on Speed
and
Adult.
helped shape the sound of electroclash before the style even had a name, and, in turn, this album feels influenced by the music that followed once the style formalized. Tracks such as
"Turn It On,"
"Fire,"
"Evil"
are colder, more detached and dance-oriented than the rather naive, bittersweet sound of
, and feature digital-sounding synths instead of the analog warmth of
's previous work. While much of
's charm came from the way it sounded like
just unearthed their gear from attics, dumpsters, and flea markets, most of
-- from the
"Warm Leatherette"
-esque
"True Mathematics"
to the icy, vaguely dissonant
"Cracked LCD"
-- borrows from the early-'80s' sharp-edged sounds. Though this approach takes some getting used to, after awhile the album reveals itself as an accomplished and worthy set of songs. Even more so than on
makes the most of
Helen Marnie
Mira Aroyo
's contrasting vocal styles; spare,
Aroyo
-sung numbers such as
"Nuhorizons"
are pitted against lush, poppy songs like
Marnie
's
"Blue Jeans,"
which, with its warm, buzzing synths and '60s-inspired melody, is the album's most quintessentially
moment. Though
's intricate, often fascinating sound takes center stage, the album does offer more than a few memorable songs, most notably the creepy-sexy
"Seventeen"
; the paranoia-by-the-numbers of
"Flicking Your Switch"
;
"Re:Agents,"
a hypnotic mix of Eastern melodies and
Joe Meek
-like sci-fi sounds; and
"Cease2xist,"
which features the line "Do you cease to exist when you stop being missed?" While the processed vocals used on most of the songs add another interesting textural element, they do tend to obscure the group's clever and usually worth-hearing lyrics. Like
might be slightly too long for its own good at just under an hour long, though there aren't any obvious moments that should be removed. On the whole,
is a logical, elegant progression for
, balancing their
pop
and experimental instincts even more ably than their debut. ~ Heather Phares