April 19–26, 2001

cd reviews|rock/pop

Ladytron

604

(Emperor Norton)

Think of Ladytron as the Jetsons of electro-pop. This Liverpool-dwelling, culturally diverse foursome manifests a sound that would have been slated as the future buzz of music, if the prediction had been made circa the late ’70s or early ’80s. Their kitschy, silver Atari space suits and vintage synths say it all. Which isn’t to say Ladytron regurgitates the future of the past. 604 is a jaunty and oh-so-danceable album which comes together as a well-balanced combination of Giorgio Moroder à la the Metropolis soundtrack and the endearing pop tunes of St. Etienne. The album features seamless dance-pop singles like "The Way that I Found You" and "Playgirl," which are bound to be blasting from the speakers of Urban Outfitters and the next Sorted dance party soon enough. But among these instant hits are a number of songs which head into a more experimental realm. "Zmeyka" is a hypnotic instrumental track with a solid, rump-shaking beat heavily layered with distortion. "I’m with the Pilots" adds spoken word to song without entering the pretentious art rock zone. Ladytron is a shining example of a band that is the dernier cri of British neo-modernism without exploiting their hipness.

—Hillary Rea