Ladyhawke, 'Ladyhawke'

An infectious, derivative sugar rush of ‘80s pop nostalgia

By Adam McKibbin

Special to Metromix

The buzz: Not to be confused with the 1985 fantasy film of the same name—or the Spider-Girl villain or Canadian indie rockers Ladyhawk—this Ladyhawke (real name: Pip Brown) is charming pop-loving DJs and bloggers around the globe, especially those who are suckers for the ‘80s.

The verdict: Brown very well may have been able to hold her own with the ‘80s pop stars, so long as she took her band with her in the time machine, as they write all of her songs. She runs the gauntlet of ‘80s female pop vocal styles—coolly detached dancefloor diva, brassy rocker, sensitive lite FM songbird—without striking a false note. The album has some gleeful bounce in its step, but there’s also sterility in its calculated mimicry. Brown’s powerful saving grace is her penchant for nailing choruses; even a flat retread like “Paris Is Burning” (which rips Gary Numan’s “Cars”) gets lifted by a strong hook. Her shining moment comes when she sounds most invested, singing “You set me on/ You set me on/ You set me on fire” on “Back of the Van.”

Did you know? Brown was criticized early in her career for being an awkward live performer; it’s since been revealed that she suffers from Asperger syndrome (a socially debilitating disorder related to autism).