Velocifero, Ladytron’s fourth album is a lush tour de force of electropop. The Liverpool base four piece, with a Bulgarian and a Scotsman, continues where Witching Hour left off – walls of intertwining synth lines mixed with austere drums and throbbing guitars.

Ladytron released their first album 604 in 2001 coinciding with the rise in prominence of the electroclash movement. 604 was shrouded in jetset chic, icy arpeggios and the stark beauty of Helen Marnie and Mira Aroyo’s voices. Songs about post modern ennui like Paco! and Playgirl , upon closer inspection revealed a latent vulnerability. Its follow up Lights and Magic expanded on the same formula, with the odd experimental track like its claustrophobic closer White Noise vs. USA . 2004’s Witching Hour was a departure from the sophisticated but increasingly kitsch synthpop of the first two releases, and veers towards a shoegazing veil of dense sound. Fiercely independent, they have toured across the globe, from an ancient castle on the Danube for Serbia’s Exit festival to playing to 4000 people in Bogotá which was later broken up by the Columbian military.

Their strength lies in their desire to use vintage synthesizers rather just midi and software, making much more vibrant and interesting creations . “We want to play all those exotic instruments live,” says vocalist Mira Aroya. The album was self produced with collaboration with ,label de jour, Ed Banger’s Vicious bliss and Alessandro Cortini , keyboardist for Nine Inch Nails. Luckily neither of their influences are too strong, and it sounds very much like a Ladyton album.

Velocifero, roughly translating to ‘Bringer of Speed’ in Portuguese, begins with slow burner Black Cat , a perfect example of the opposing vocals of Helen and Mira. The warmth Helen’s voice is countered the harsher sounds of Mira’s Bulgarian lyrics. Pristine melodies intercede precision drumming complement the distant vocals. Moving from desolation to bliss in moments. This juxtaposition is what makes their music feel so powerful and beautiful.

Ghosts is sure to be popular with both fans and first time listeners with it glistening keyboards and haunting chorus. “There is a ghost inside that wants to say I’m sorry, doesn’t mean I’m sorry”. I’m Not Scared’s opening sounds like a clone, in a good way, of Witching Hour’s Sugar with waves of controlled electronic distortion. They Gave You a Heart They Gave You a Name sounds similar to Lights and Magic’s style of layered synthpop. Predict the Day is an intriguing enigma; laden with the vapid Tibaland -esque drum beat that destroyed Bloc Party’s The Prayer are somehow perfectly fitted here. The thunderous pounding, the elegant harmonies and the mechanical warmth of their vintage Korgs makes for a truly wondrous track.

There are lulls in the album that allow the listener to catch their breath. It also allows the band to experiment with new sounds. Deep Blue ’s distorted violin and the cover of a popular Bulgarian children’s song, Kletva gives the album a varied pallet. The album ends with the almost ballad like Versus. A departure in style, it contains an acoustic guitar, though still surrounded by their timeless analogue keyboards, and male vocals. Perhaps hinting at a greater progression in their next album. And Velocifero is a truly wonderful album. It does what many albums fail to do well by producing a truly enthralling sound scape that allows you to get lost in their world of music.