Customer Reviews

Witching Hour

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This album is in some ways a step up for Ladytron and in some ways a step down, depending upon how one chooses to look at it. On the positive side, "Witching Hour" is warmer and more mysterious than anything they have previously done. The soundscapes are incredibly lush and sweeping while also dense and fuzzy. This makes for a very interesting listening experience and Helen Marnie's vocals are better than ever. She sounds almost surreal, particularly on "International Dateline" and "Beauty*2". In a word, WOW. On the negative side, Mira Aroyo is featured on only two tracks and her presence is not nearly as prominent on this album as it was on previous albums. I have always thought that the interplay between her thick, Bulgarian vocals and Marnie's sweeter, more melodic vocals really gave Ladytron an edge. While Marnie has the voice to carry the album herself, she sounds better when complemented by Aroyo and similarly, Aroyo sounds better when backed by Marnie. Aroyo has always been less vocally prominent than Marnie and on this album she is almost non-existent. One fears that she will disappear into the background as Marnie takes over as the frontwoman of the band. My only other complaint is that I can't quite figure out the hidden track. This album contains a "hidden" 14th track, yet it is nothing but nine minutes of silence. Perhaps this is supposed to be symbolic? Who knows? "Witching Hour" is otherwise a very strong effort and an album that rewards repeated listening. It is definitely on my top ten list of albums released in 2005.

This is my first purchase of a Ladytron album, actually my first purchase of anything of theirs, since I've only been a very casual fan since their beginning. I've really only heard their singles "He Took Her To The Movies" and "Seventeen". There is much more material on "Witching Hour" that grabs you at first listen, though. The songs may have more melody, for the most part. So it's not surprising that fans of their earlier work may feel jilted by their new pop accessibility (although I felt the early singles were accessible as well) or the disappearance of any existing eccentricities.

The single "Destroy Everything You Touch" has a driving dance beat reminiscent of the 80's hits of Depeche Mode or New Order. I couldn't stop playing this after I downloaded it from iTunes. Then you notice the other songs and practically everything has something to offer. There are no tracks that I skip (not counting the final silent track). Songs like "Sugar" and "Weekend" are the kind I love playing LOUD speeding down a dark highway. "Beauty*2" has a fragile, haunting quality to it and I wish it didn't end so soon. "International Dateline" is another that stays in my head days after I hear it. The whole album is well produced and SOUNDS great.

I would place this as probably my favorite album of 2005 after Thievery Corporation's "The Cosmic Game". I have no reason not check out Ladytron's earlier releases after hearing this stunning album. **** 1/2 stars.

The atmosphere of this record is electric and dark at the same time, beautiful at times and noisy and disturbing at others, like all the best records should be. "Witching Hour" is an album that reaches further than its predecessors: warm and dense, there is a feeling of susceptible magic wrapped within all tracks.
Witching Hour achieves a certain timelessness. Sure, these songs betray the inspiration of three decades of electronic pop, but none of them touch long enough to leave a fingerprint. Instead, Ladytron's warm songs sound new, retro and familiar without ever letting on that they've ever listened to synth-pop before.
The artful blend of darkness and warmth ultimately proves to be the record's best asset; it's a delicate balance, but Ladytron gets it just right.

Ladytron's third album, Witching Hour (Ryko), is something witches of yore might listen to, just as vampires might choose to feast on one of Portisehead's albums.
At first I waved this album off as an electro-clone, wondering if the monotonous girl vocals would ever leave this Fischerspooner-dominated genre. But after subsequent listens, I rebuked the comparison, and realized that not only are there some hidden gems on Witching Hour, this also isn't everyday electro: a healthy dose of indie rock creeps between the brooding dance tracks. Therefore it wasn't a big surprise to find that Jim Abiss (Placebo, DJ Shadow) produced the album.
Synths, humming basslines, and imposing beats don't leave much room for a change of pace. But when you're done with the distortion and droning vocals, so are they. The quartet of two girls and two guys from Liverpool can shake hips on "High Rise," give bar DJs a disturbingly sexy brew of German (?) lyrics to drool over on "Fighting in Built Up Areas," and perk up the lo-fi listeners' ears with "Beauty*2."

Witching Hour is in fact an apt title, in addition to the band's name, a sort of woman robot. But go ahead, let them put you under their spell. When I turn the CD off I'm no toad or rabbit, although I do feel like prowling a bar with a costume on...

I've been following LADYTRON since I saw the video for "Playgirl" in early 2001. Upon buying 604, I knew that the band was destined for big things with the synth-based '80s sounds that at once mimicked and simultaneously outshined anything ever done by the likes of Depeche Mode, the Human League or Visage. As a collection of early tracks, 604 sparked a musical movement of '80s-inspired electro-rock that we are still experiencing a la The Killers, Interpol, The Bravery and others. By Fall 2002, we were treated to Light & Magic, a more polished collection of LADYTRON songs that not only avoided the 'sophomore slump' but managed to impress critics worldwide, ending up on Rolling Stone's Top 50 albums of the year. And, honestly, who could resist the cross-over synthetic appeal of tracks like club hit "Seventeen," the '60s pop inspired "Blue Jeans," electro-dance favorite "Evil," and the lush title track?

Fast forward to Witching Hour (2005). After switching labels in 2004, the band set out to make a record that incorporated a broader range of influences. If the first two records took cues from Kraftwerk, then Witching Hour takes its leads from the likes of The Kinks and My Bloody Valentine ("Sugar"), New Order ("Destroy Everything You Touch"), Lush ("WhiteLightGenerator"), and the Cocteau Twins ("All The Way"). Don't get me wrong: This album is NOT about LADYTRON trying to do its best to rip off anyone else. They take these influences and make them distinctly their own; each track is quintessential LADYTRON. It's a well produced concept album that takes you on a dark journey from start to finish. Witching Hour is successful in that it displays the breadth of the band's talents, now incorporating guitars and a rougher, edgier sound (think feedback and fuzzy electronic overlays). At times, the band can even be political ("Soft Power") without hitting you over the head and can craft the most ominous of dance tracks ("Fighting In Built Up Areas"), sure to be a goth favorite.

What works most about the album is that it appears that LADYTRON have finally produced a record that speaks to a wide range of the band members' personal musical influences. Produced by Jim Abbiss (Kasabian, Placebo), Witching Hour will appeal to a broader audience than just the electroclash set. Granted, there are tracks that are planted firmly in that camp ("Weekend") but other songs stretch the band to its creative limits, offering us a chance to hear what a proper LADYTRON ballad sounds like ("Beauty*2"). What's refreshing is that all of these seemingly different tracks sound great from start to finish - mostly due to the strong vocals offered by Helen Marnie. She is at her most mature and confident on Witching Hour. And while Mira Aroyo only takes the lead on a couple of tracks ("AMTV" and "Fighting In Built Up Areas"), her performance is solid as well. By the way, Mira also offers up the lead vocals on one of the best LADYTRON Bsides to date, the flipside of "Destroy Everything You Touch" called "Nothing To Hide." Check it out.

And, for those people who've been asking about why Track 14 is nothing but dead airtime, well just look at the running time of the album, 60:02. That's almost exactly one hour - a witching hour, if you will. While you make think that's silly or misleading, it's the kind of attention to detail that makes Witching Hour one of the strongest indie-electro-rock records of the decade. Everyone should own this album, in my opinion. And, so far, everyone that I've suggested it to has loved it immensely. Perhaps you will too. LADYTRON at their best!!!

I walked into my local music store to browse for some new music. Out of the over head speakers come what I would later learned to be a song called "Sugar". That driving bass sound, pounding drums, fuzzy yet melodic keyboards and those mesmerizingly understated female vocals caused my ears to perk, my head to bounce and foot to tap. At that point I had never heard of Ladytron but that one 2 minute 50 second song had me hooked. I walked out the store without purchasing the CD but the melody of that song was so strong that it forced me to go to my local electronics store to make the purchase. Am I sorry that I parted ways with the cash?

I bought this CD well over 4 weeks ago and it's been played, in its entirety, at least once per week. My four favorite songs are still played daily. In "High Rise", I'm drawn to (at least what I consider to be) the unusual pairing of background vocals accenting the lead vocals while not repeating the lyrics as well as those driving drums. "Destroy Everything You Touch" also has an unusual pairing of a catchy melody with words that speak of observing a rather negative individual and danceable music. The pull that "Sugar" has on me has already been established. Initially, it was the music that I liked but now, I find the lyrics of "Weekend" to be fascinating. Who would thought that great music and fascinating lyrics would make for a great song?

I'm anxious to hear if their other releases have the same quality of the music on "Witching Hour". I must say this has the potential to be a beautiful "electronica band/new electronica music fan" relationship.

With this 3rd full length, I was ready to write off Ladytron. The last album had definate hilights, but only a few songs that stayed with you. I actually avoided buying Witching Hour for a few months after it's release because I didn't want to sell how far they had fallen--but after reading a few reviews and interviews, I thought that I should give it a try.

I could not have been more surprised and pleased. I believe this is the album Ladytron have been building up to. Yes, there are guitars and live drum and bass--but this may be the key to this album.s success. On first listen, I thought"man, that was a GREAT SONG, BUT I BET THE NEXT ONE WILL BE SO-SO---not so. I couldn't believe that every song seemed better than the last.

These songs stay with you--the harmonies, the melodies, and the atmosphere haunt you. I have been playing this cd nearly every day since I bought it months ago. I am really looking forward to thier concert in San Franciso next week to feel the full on effect of these ravishing songs. Bravo Ladytron!

Ladytron may have come up in the era of electroclash, but this album ensures the group will be around after trucker hats go out of style. Sure, there are dancefloor bangers that will get silver spoons bouncing around necks everywhere. But there's a surprising amount of depth and variety here, and best of all, there's actual songcraft. Some of the softer guitar-led numbers bring to mind the Velvet Underground, the Cocteau Twins, and "Psychocandy"-era Jesus and Mary Chain. The vocals are often highly reverbed like on early Sonic Youth records, resulting in a haunting, ghostly sound. The album manages to sound both icy and soft, and is consistently enjoyable throughout.

This review sums up, nice and objectively, how I feel about Ladytron's excellent new third album.

"Ladytron have always excelled at juxtaposing contrasting styles in both their music and their image, be it synthetic versus organic, or warm versus frigid. They have stylish haircuts, but dress in rather utilitarian-looking clothes onstage. Their recorded music is heavily dominated by synthesizers, but their live show has included real drums and guitar. Helen Marnie sings in a disarmingly soft voice, while Mira Aroyo spits her vocals in a cold, Eastern European monotone. Audiences don't know whether to dance or stand looking like bored indie rock fans; even the band's song "Playgirl" asks, "Why are you dancing when you could be alone?"

After the charming mishmash of electro, post punk, and pop rock on their lauded 2000 debut 604, Ladytron, fronted by the vocal yin-yang of Marnie and Aroyo, with Daniel Hunt and Reuben Wu quietly doing their thing in the background, decided to add considerable polish to their sound on 2002's uber-hip Light and Magic. Buoyed by the single "Seventeen", the album helped bring the electroclash craze above ground, alongside the likes of Adult. and Fischerspooner, but to their credit, Ladytron refused to allow themselves to be lumped in with the rest of the synth pop fad, and over the past three years, they've continued to evolve musically. With the addition of a full band behind the synth quartet, their live sound began taking on more of a krautrock style, as rigid Kraftwerk elements meshed with a more progressive, Can-style element. The 2003 mix CD Softcore Jukebox offered hints of Ladytron's continued growth, from the cover photo of Marnie and Aroyo, an homage to Roxy Music (whose song is the band's namesake), to the reworked version of "Blue Jeans", to the raucous, punk-fueled cover of Tweet's "Oops, Oh My". Listening to the eclectic tracks on Softcore Jukebox, from My Bloody Valentine, to The Fall, to Cristina, to Lee Hazlewood, the prospect of what Ladytron's third full-length would sound like was encouraging, and after the long wait, their much-anticipated follow-up delivers on the promise.

While both 604 and Light and Magic toyed with the idea of pop music, tentatively dipping into catchy melodies and arrangements, the hip posturing making the music sound more chilly than engaging, Witching Hour, on the other hand, is surprisngly accessible. Any thought of Ladytron being nothing more than poster children for a musical trend that has since faded away has been tossed out the window. Produced by Jim Abbiss, who has worked with Placebo and Kasabian in the past, the sound is much more dense than the stripped-down Light and Magic, and although the new songs combine dark themes with the band's familiar glacial feel, you begin to sense a heart beating underneath all the layers of ice.

The key track on the album is its first single, "Sugar". Fans are already familiar with the song, as it was featured prominently on the excellent, sadly overlooked soundtrack to the documentary film Thinking XXX from a year ago, and it's presented in cleaner, beefed-up form on Witching Hour. The most outwardly rock-oriented song the band has ever done, "Sugar" mines both '60s garage rock and early '90s shoegazer, the insistent drums and tambourine beat underscored by waves of feedback and drones, as Marnie's teasing, layered lead vocals draw strongly from the great 90s dreampoppers Lush. Coy, menacing, and carnal at the same time, it oozes personality, a huge departure from the band's previous, rather staid singles.

Much of the credit of the album's success goes to Marnie, who puts in a very strong lead vocal performance on ten of the 13 tracks, sounding more confident and emotional than ever before. The upcoming second single, "Destroy Everything You Touch", is just as notable a departure as "Sugar", but it heads in a different direction, driven by strong, house-style beats and accented by grandiose, cascading synths, Marnie cooing lyrics that sound as much a political commentary as a song about a jilted lover. Marnie's sweet vocal melodies on "International Dateline" mask feelings of impending doom ("Woke up in the evening/ To the sound of the screaming/ Through the walls that were bleeding/ All over me"), while the dreamy "All the Way" closes the album on a lovely, plaintive note. The tender "Beauty #2" smacks of Depeche Mode, it's sparse arrangement adding weight to Marnie's emotional vocal delivery, before shifting into a gorgeous, dance-fueled breakdown midway through.

While Witching Hour has the band sounding more adventurous, there's a consistency to the tracks that holds it all together. "High Rise" is an even more direct nod to My Bloody Valentine and The Jesus and Mary Chain than "Sugar", "White Light Generator" is simple, lush (by name and by nature) dreampop, and "Weekend" boasts a terrific, motorik style rhythm, another example of the band's Krautrock fascination. Aroyo does sing on two songs, her usually harsh voice toned down a touch on "amTV" (arguably the album's weakest track) and on the disc's harshest track, "Fighting in Built Up Areas", but in all honesty, it's Marnie's album, and her much more engaging vocal style is what makes this a potentially mainstream-friendly piece of work. The artful blend of darkness and warmth ultimately proves to be the record's best asset; it's a delicate balance, but Ladytron gets it just right.""

From start to finish this album is CLASS!!! Whenever I'm listening to this album I get lost in it's beauty, it's sooo haunting sooo icy, soooo wintery, soooo dense... yet it's got a heart and it feels warm at times! At times it's really rocking, other times it's just sooo soft and mellow it's an album full of contradictions and that's why it's soooo great!!!

01. High Rise - 9.75/10 - What a grand-rocking start to such a great album! Whenever I'm listening to this song I feel like I'm driving somewhere really fast... It's a song that really builds a landscape! Helen sings "we're on the same high you and I" that says it all I guess!

02. Destroy Everything You Touch - 9.65/10 - The POP song of this album and the obvious single! It's got a killer chorus, one that sticks to your mind yet it's not one that you get fed up of easily... While High Rise gives a rocking start to the album Destroy is synth drenched, with references to 90's euro-pop and top notch stop-start dynamics... fantastic stuff!

03. International Dateline - 10/10 - My favourite song on the album... It's got such a dampy start and it feels so cold, tearful and terrifying when Helen softly speaks "Woke up in the evening, To the sound of the screaming, Through walls that were bleeding, All over me"... The song progresses slowly, and Helen's voice sends shivers to my spines when she sings "let's end it here, let's leave it here" until the song almost gets rocking. Although it's such a dark song, the groovy drummings makes this song dancible and that's why it takes full marks!

04. AMTV - 8.7/10 - One of the "weaker" songs on the album, which is still great but by the standards of this album, it's one of my least favourites. The song is definitely a highlight on the album because of Mira's singing otherwise it's pretty average stuff

05. SUGAR - 9/10 - Probably the most rocking song of the album... Ladytron here pick guitars and rock out for nearly 3 minutes. It's such a cute song and I love it, the only downfall of it is that it's a bit repetitive, but the driving guitars make the song a wonderful experiment for the band!

06. SOFT POWER - 9.5/10 - This is the centre-piece and another masterpiece of THE WITCHING HOUR! Here is where Ladytron gets really weird. The synths and Helen's ghostly voice are sooo haunting and creepy, Soft Power almost screams "goth"... It's definitely the darkest song on this album as Helen sings "daylight is the enemy". There's also a strange countermelody which helps making this the densest song they've ever done!

07. CMYK - 8.8/10 - The shortest song on the album. Clocks just after 1 minute but it's a beautiful haunting instrumental interlude!

08. FIGHTING IN BUILT UP AREAS - 9.5/10 - This might be the harshest song on the album. It's somewhere between industrial dance and synth rock. It's the counterpart to Soft Power and it's probably the most awkward song in here that takes a couple of listens to get into but once you get into it u can almost dance with it despite being in my opinion the second densiest song on the album! This song is sung by Mira and it's in Bulgarian, which helps in giving it a kind of a cold harsh Eastern European feel.

09. Last One Standing - 9.7 - After 3 really dark and dense songs Ladytron return to their sweet side with such a lovely song. It's the first I fell in love with after Destroy and Sugar! It also brings memories of Playgirl as it's one of the softer songs on Witching Hour. Last One Standing takes bonus points in my opinion because of it's contrasts. It's another song drenched in icy synchs yet the chiming bells bring a kind of warm feeling to this song! I wished it was longer than it's 3 minutes as it passes by so fast unfortunately!

10. Weekend - 9.8/10 It's a song that boasts a terrific, motorik style rhythm, and returns Ladytron to their rocking sounds featured before on High Rise and Sugar. Although it's not as "hard", this one is my favourite of the rock songs. Lyrically it's about a girl who, goes to work, doesn't enjoy her life and attaches herself with the material world kind of, and becomes a number just like everyone else and in the end Helen sings "You took the end, out of weekend", it's like she's saying don't take life so seriouly and enjoy it while u can... excellent stuff!

11. Beauty 2 - 9.9/10 - My 2nd favourite. This song is so fragile and vulnerable. Probably the slowest song on the album. It's kind of dreamy as well yet in the middle of this there's a dance fueled breakdown and from there the song changes completely. In the 2nd part of the song Helen's voice shows more emotions and from there the song really excells. The final 30 seconds of the song are so breezy whith the synths creating a spacy atmospheric feel to the song! You can't help bust getting lost with this song!

12. WHITE LIGHT GENERATION - 9.4 - Helen here gives a more laid back effort. While not being such a highlight song it's a pretty dream-pop, lushy tune and could as well serve the band as a new direction for future albums.

13. ALL THE WAY... - 9.8 - Perfect closer! It's probably the coldest song in here. It feels as if snow is actually falling on you and freezing your body as Helen sings "they heard the sound of the snow falling". It's a perfect-ambient farewell to such an album and it doesn't stop there... There's a hidden track that ends the whole witching hour in perfect silence! What a way to finish a surprisingly glorious hour in your life!