Paradises

When Ladytron returned after disappearing for most of the 2010s, they took pains to remind listeners of why they were so beloved: Both Ladytron and Times Arrow emphasized their synth pop and dream pop bona fides. Nearly a decade after their reunion, Paradises finds them ready for change. On their first album as a trio -- Reuben Wu departed in 2023 shortly after the release of Times Arrow -- Daniel Hunt, Helen Marnie, and Mira Aroyo let their dance roots take center stage. Considering that Ladytron got their start as DJs and displayed their fluency with dance music on a wealth of remixes and the mix album Softcore Jukebox, its somewhat surprising that it took them this long to incorporate their love of disco and house into their music as completely as they do here. At its best, however, Paradises reflects their understanding of those styles as keenly as their reinvention of synth pop. "I Believe in You" sets the drama of "Destroy Everything You Touch" to a hypnotic house beat that shows off Marnie and Aroyos intertwining harmonies to their finest; the stabbing piano chords that underpin "Kingdom Undersea" borrow equally from baggy and Balearic beat; and "I See Red"s whistling synths find the sweet spot between ABBAs "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" and their own "Blue Jeans." On "Caught in the Blink of an Eye," Ladytrons icy urgency rivals New Order, another band that blended dance and indie brilliantly. And with its hovering synth strings and saxophone, "A Death in London" captures the shadowy allure of the dancefloor during the wee hours, even if its production tends towards monochrome. Other standouts include "Solid Light," a spacious, sunny throwback to Y2K electronica with Aroyo on lead vocals. ~ Heather Phares

When Ladytron returned after disappearing for most of the 2010s, they took pains to remind listeners of why they were so beloved: Both Ladytron and Times Arrow emphasized their synth pop and dream pop bona fides. Nearly a decade after their reunion, Paradises finds them ready for change. On their first album as a trio -- Reuben Wu departed in 2023 shortly after the release of Times Arrow -- Daniel Hunt, Helen Marnie, and Mira Aroyo let their dance roots take center stage. Considering that Ladytron got their start as DJs and displayed their fluency with dance music on a wealth of remixes and the mix album Softcore Jukebox, its somewhat surprising that it took them this long to incorporate their love of disco and house into their music as completely as they do here. At its best, however, Paradises reflects their understanding of those styles as keenly as their reinvention of synth pop. "I Believe in You" sets the drama of "Destroy Everything You Touch" to a hypnotic house beat that shows off Marnie and Aroyos intertwining harmonies to their finest; the stabbing piano chords that underpin "Kingdom Undersea" borrow equally from baggy and Balearic beat; and "I See Red"s whistling synths find the sweet spot between ABBAs "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" and their own "Blue Jeans." On "Caught in the Blink of an Eye," Ladytrons icy urgency rivals New Order, another band that blended dance and indie brilliantly. And with its hovering synth strings and saxophone, "A Death in London" captures the shadowy allure of the dancefloor during the wee hours, even if its production tends towards monochrome. This kind of experimentation has always been one of Ladytrons greatest strengths and their occasional undoing. At 16 tracks and nearly 70 minutes, Paradises is one of their longest albums, and not all of its choices serve the material well. Blurry production dims highlights like "Sing" and swallows Marnie and Aroyo on "Metaphysica" -- a strange move, since their vocals are as iconic as Ladytrons synths. Similarly, superfluous tracks like the interlude "Heatwaves" threaten to crowd out genuinely great moments such as "Solid Light." A spacious, sunny throwback to Y2K electronica with Aroyo on lead vocals, it feels like it should be Paradises final statement. Instead, the album ends with "For a Life in London," a less-inspired reprise of its first half. More diluted than truly disappointing, Paradises boasts enough standout tracks to please fans -- but with more shaping and a sharper mix, it couldve been one of Ladytrons great albums. ~ Heather Phares