The best of Ladytron should be on everyone’s playlists. Over 27 years, the Liverpudlian synth-pop act have established themselves as a well-loved international cult act. They’re heading for (underground) heritage status, despite a quarter of the band leaving three years ago (Reuben Wu departed to focus on his successful photography career). The good news is that, on their eighth album, they’re still up for exploring new musical pastures.
On Paradises, the trio revel in retro-Balearica, indie-goes-house songs redolent of Brits-on-hols-on-Doves groovin’, mostly sung by Helen Marnie and Mira Aroyo. Those old enough might flash back to Saint Etienne, Dubstar and A Man Called Adam. One song, the sweet, melodic euphoria of “Kingdom Undersea”, even took this listener to the utopian age of flash-in-the-pan early-Nineties Ecstasy pop stars such as Intastella and Sunscreem.
There are other lovely songs on board, the New Order-adjacent “I See Red”, the delicious slowie “Free, Free” and the four-to-the-floor Ibiza-many-moons-ago foot-mover “I Believe in You”, to name but three. And the lyrics are chewy too. “I hear Kings Cross is on fire, London Fields is a mess/ This is no day to be out, this ain’t nowhere to be seen/A place where dreams go to die,” runs the likeably moody and thoughtful “Death in London”.
Unfortunately, there’s a “but”. Two really. At 73 minutes, it’s too long, in the sense that there are songs that pootle along pleasantly but never hook. Could do with a trim. This factor combines with production, done with regular collaborator Jim Abbiss, that’s dreamy but samey and not given to notable sonic statement.
The latter factor may not be a problem. In an age when the mellow production flatness of Olivia Dean, SZA, et al, is deliberately designed not to disturb listeners, Paradises may prove popular. But, for this fan of the band, the album would benefit from being shorter and punching out harder some of the time and is, therefore, one to cherry pick.
Below: Watch the video for "A Death in London" by Ladytron
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