Velocifero [Digipak] * by Ladytron

Electronica quartet Ladytron makes dark, stylish synth-pop that recalls Depeche Mode, the Human League, and Berlin. With its churning electro-scapes and flatly intoned female vocals, Ladytron's music might be too pat if it weren't for their fine melodies and sense of popcraft. Luckily, VELOCIFERO, the band's fourth full-length CD, has enough of these qualities to make it one of the band's most confident efforts. Opener"Black Cat"creeps and surges in an irresistible way, while"I'm Not Scared"soars ahead like a train to some shadowy, ominous land. The sense of cold alienation perhaps inherent in Ladrytron's initial approach is finally balanced by this overall melodic sense, reinforcing the band's status as true heirs to 1980s commercial synth-pop.