Perseverance has never been considered an attribute in the fickle world of indie rock. In the hushed cubicles of cool those years at the coalface spent by King Kapranos and T’Chiefs are seen not as a badge of authenticity, but as something to snipe about; proof that they didn’t arrive fully-formed from the brow of the indie-Zeus like the real gods of rock.
Ladytron have served their time in the darker regions of the chart goldmine. If cult-classic ‘Seventeen’ and the chilly thrills of the splendid ‘Light & Magic’ got overlooked in the retro scramble, the times have slowly caught up with their analogue ennui. ‘Sugar’ brings with it everything required for a hit in 2005. Synths squelch for mercy; tinny drum machines provide a Berlin-via-Betelgeuse rat-at-tat rhythm and the lyrics (“If I get the sugar/Will you get me/Something illicit/Temporary”) sound suitably druggy without ever veering into Kills daftness. Add the fact that they still look like sulky space-sirens forced to work at Boots and you’ve got final proof that being ahead of your time just means you need to stay still for a while. If there’s anything better to be playing on your iPod while you pedallo toward the G8 Summit as part of Geldof’s floating flotilla, we haven’t heard it.
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