Ladytron

On first listen, this Kramer-produced album sounds like a collection of Mercury Rev's lost four-track recordings. "(Get Yerself a) Telegraph" bears all the trippy, slit-your-wrist-to-the-sound-of-the-theremin trademarks of that band (indeed, many of this disc's lyrics describe the dodgy, but non-fatal carbon monoxide poisoning of Ladytron songwriter Ted Velykis). But there is also a definite glam element here, with songwriting that is highly reminiscent of Bowie's early-'70s musings (especially on tracks like "Violincello" and "Sphere: Welcome"). While the air of melancholy tends to keep the Mick Ronson-style bombast mostly out of the picture, the Ladytron still delivers a satisfying album of meditative restraint.