Weekly Release Spotlight: Ladyhawke

Posted on 12/21/2008

Ladyhawke

Ladyhawke

[Modular/Interscope]

Sometimes music can be hard. Especially during year end list-making, the most esoteric and pompously artsy tunes gets the most attention. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but really don't most music fans just want something that will make him/her a) thrash, b) sing along, c) dance, or d) all of the above (and isn't Lil Wayne)? Well, the self-titled debut by New Zealand"s Ladyhawke should do just the trick for any of your visceral musical urges, and just because there's nothing particularly "challenging" going on doesn't mean it shouldn't go without accolades.

Completely unpretentious and yet dense enough to be enjoyed by even the most cold-hearted "cerebral" music lover, the chanteuse/songwriter born Pip Brown has created an alter ego that is so infectious that it's hard to not already clamor for a sophomore effort. This is dance pop that shouldn't be shoved under the rug: warm and friendly hooks, simple but effective guitar riffs acting as musical anchors to the songs' vitality, and propulsive choruses that catapult the listener's ears into neon-flavored (I'm thinking Fruit Roll-Ups' Electric Blue Raspberry flavor) headphone orgasms. It's gooey, sicky sweet, and a brief but deeply satisfying respite from reality. Add a high repeat-play factor into the mix and you've got a record perfect for long car rides, where you'll be totally fine with it ending, because you can just let it play through again...and again, and again.

"Another Runaway" is quite possibly the hand clap jam of the year, with the breakdown leaving Pip to sensuously exude "uh uh oh I don't believe it / uh uh oh you never mean it" right before the keyboards pummel back in with a delightful tremolo guitar smack and low-end that deepens the song more than it ever was before that moment, just thirty seconds before it ends. It's a mind-meld, really, that must be heard to be believed. "My Delirium" is a taut sassy track with blissful beats and buzzing tones that equal if not outdo the singer's attitude and the verses on "Back of the Van" sound like ticking time bombs until the explosion of calm excitement that comes with the cathartic refrains. This may not be a record to unwrap with your college education but it can surely be shared with and enjoyed by anyone who can get down with guilt-free pop perfection.

Written by Chris Polley, Radio K volunteer and host of Now Like Photographs.