Indie electronic-pop sensation Ladytron [ tickets ] beckons listeners to the dance floor with its fourth album, and Nettwerk label debut, �Velocifero,� an addictive collection of synth-pop hooks and raging party energy.Massive vintage keyboard sounds and stylish, unapologetic vocals make up the bulk of �Velocifero.� While none of the tracks are especially experimental or shocking, they are consistently fast-paced, catchy and danceable. �Black Cat� starts off the album with a powerful, urgent bass rhythm that escalates, while vocalist Mira Aroyo maintains a steady, demanding lyrical chant in her native Bulgarian tongue. The track is a climactic, anxiety-inducing opener that acts as a warm-up for what follows.�Velocifero� literally means �bringer of speed.� The title seems appropriate, since the thrill of momentum and climaxing layers of sound seem to be the inspiration for these 13 songs. Assisting with �Velocifero� production were Vicarious Bliss (Justice, DJ Mehdi) and Alessandro Cortini (Nine Inch Nails), who helped to bring more focus, cohesiveness and new dimensions (incorporating moodier, heavier elements) to the quartet�s previous electronic pop-oriented sound. The brightest and most instantly-satisfying tracks are �Ghosts,� �They Gave You a Heart, They Gave You a Name� and �I�m Not Scared�-- all of which could become DJ-set staples. More introspective, dreamy tones are set with the hypnotic �Deep Blue� and wandering soundscapes of �Season of Illusions.�The downfall of any dance music is that club beats can quickly become repetitive. For Ladytron, monotony creeps in about midway through the record, but the music�s saving graces are the enormous new wave �80s bliss and Aroyo�s sexy words of bitterness or indifference. On �Burning Up,� she starkly repeats: �I wrote a protest song about you, about you/Set off on a long march without you, without you.� It�s these moments that make joining her protest feel worthwhile, and, ultimately, there are enough infectious, impassioned points--lyrically and musically--to make �Velocifero� a must-have collection of dance songs.
