'They only want you when you're 17. When you're 21 you're no fun." This song, "Seventeen," the first single from their new album "Light & Magic," sums up what Ladytron are all about. Their lyrics can be cruel and direct ("Seventeen" is an indictment of the Lolita values of modeling agencies), but they are set to swirling, analog synths. The end result is lush, poppy, haunting electronic music with a harsh dystopian edge.
Ladytron lift half of their name from Disney's 1982 sci-fi/computer movie "Tron," but their links with that decade go much deeper. Their sound recalls the synthesizer-based music of the '80s, particularly that of late-period Kraftwerk, but also of Gary Numan, who is currently enjoying critical career reappraisal.
If that puts you off, it shouldn't. The new album stands out for its reinterpretation of the '80s synth sound. Recorded in Los Angeles on vintage equipment and produced by Beck and Beastie Boys maestro Mickey Petralia, "Light & Magic," is entirely fresh, but if pressed for a reference, I'd say that Ladytron are an Eastern European New Order with girl singers.