Liverpudlian mainstays of the electronica scene try another tack on their latest album, with mixed results.
Five studio albums in is as good a point as any to shift the musical goalposts a little, precisely what Ladytron have done with GTS.
Heading for more Baroque territory than previous material, which was bookended with this spring’s Best Of, the cult Liverpool electro elves open with White Elephant, a lush and floaty web of synths pricked with spidery harpsichord.
The new dreamy direction might feel somewhat stagnant and passionless to fans of old, but they haven’t left town completely.
The dystopian, menacing White Gold is hewn from Ladytron gold, and is arguably the album highlight.
Elsewhere the electronica, by turns languid and strident, doesn’t quite have the substance it strives for, often too brittle to support the effort and heart they put into it.
3 stars
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