Cutting candy-sweet electronica
'Sugar' is the first release from Ladytron's long-awaited third album. It's sexy, smart and certainly leaves a delicious taste in your mouth. The futuristic synth and robotic but still distinctly feminine and arousing vocals are underpinned by a moody, hypnotic bassline not far removed from the emotional electronica of Joy Division. Ladytron's upbeat, driving tune is far removed from Ian Curtis' maudlin drones though; singer Helen Marnie's tempting vocals are sharp and bubbly, while the whole tune sounds like the band are on a hypergalactic race through sound and time.
Electronica is often synonymous with the mundane, unvaried trance of the past for many of us rock fans, but fear not, Ladytron's music is cutting with a wonderfully glitzy edge that leaves you wanting to pull on your ruby slippers and strut your stuff. It doesn't even matter that the lyrics are simplistic, "I give you sugar will you get me something elusive and temporary", because they're delivered with such style. 'Sugar' is, with a sense of foreboding darkness, the sweetest poison.