Goldfrapp / Tales Of Us

New single and video here. http://goldfrapp.com/

I posted this on another Goldfrapp thread yesterday. Really love this single and I'm very happy to have them back. After listening to it a few times I'm really reminded of The Divine Comedy, especially the orchestral arrangement.

I'm basically onboard whenever she moves in the direction of cinematic balladeering and away from rote electro glam - my two favourite records of hers are Felt Mountain and the psych-folkish one from 2008. So I'm looking forward to this.

Black Cherry remains my favourite but I'm totally fine with them going in this direction again. Felt Mountain and Seventh Tree are both fantastic albums too.

Never got the love for 7th tree - Felt Mountain is really for me the only essential album in their collection. It's funny how at the time FM sounded so derivative and yet more than 10 years later I can't think of anything similar to it.

I really should give that one an ear again, I was just looking over some of my Goldfrapp stuff last night and the debut always left me vaguely disappointed.

As for the new one, am giving an ear to a promo stream now -- good stuff so far.

sounds like one of their 'Bond' tracks to me. very pretty ...though I hope they haven't completely ditched synths.

This is a gorgeous song.

What a lovely single... Goldfrapp is one of those acts I often write off for a few years, then they come along with something that bowls me over like this.

She looks stunningly beautiful in the vid as well.

Holy fuck, I just found out she's 47! respect.

Love the new song. The video is gorgeous as well. I like their electro stuff, but Felt Mountain and Seventh Tree are the ones I listened to the most.

This album is out there and contains some of the best songs they've ever done. Really beautiful stuff from Drew onwards.

Anyone else heard this yet? Stunning record, as good as Seventh Tree.

had a really hard time w/ it at this time of year; portions caught me a bit but ive shelved it to revisit around december or something

Yeah I can understand that, it will make a great winter album. I'm still loving it now though, hopefully people will get on board soon.

Is it folky like 7th tree? Or Bond-ish like the debut?

It's more similar in feel to Seventh Tree but there a few songs with orchestral arrangements like Felt Mountain. Clowns is probably the song it sounds most like.

The video on the website for drew catches the vibe well--quiet-ish, lovely, slightly timeless, full of open empty space, plus sexiness

their best album imo, flat out fabulous.

Think I'm going to wait till the nights draw in to get stuck into this.

This is... quite stunning.

brilliant year of music we're having

Black Cherry is still my favourite, it was the album that made me really fall in love with them. The new one is close though, it's just about perfect.

this is top 5 albums of the year, I am actually baffled at the lukewarm reception

yeah, it's stunningly beautiful

I've enjoyed it so far, but haven't really absorbed it yet.

i would have thought the reviews would be all over this ..

but no.

the general consensus seems to be : 'couple of good songs, the rest is boring .. '

i am split.

do i buy this now, or wait a few weeks for the £5 fopp deal...

ftr : i love seventh tree

same

(if anything this solves the main problem Seventh Tree had, which was being thematically uneven. this is so thematically even it almost hurts)

i love this

yeah this is great

i never really checked goldfrapp out before

it kinda reminds me of Catherine Howe - What a Beautiful Place in parts....this is a great album, Numero Group reissued it a couple years back so you can find it

http://www.soundohm.com/albums/covers/bbbef2850f68e07336312ba60187f6de.jpg

Have to admit it kind of drifted over me when I listened to it for the first time yesterday... I was cleaning the kitchen at the time though, sure it deserves more attention.

i've basically only listened to it while driving home from work at like 4am while the streets are empty and it's pretty perfect

Yeah I think I'll save my next listen for a long autumnal walk in the park.

Wonderful album. Reviews are pretty good actually except for the Pitchfork one, which makes a piss-weak argument.

This is Album of the year for me at this point. Agree that the reviews have been quite baffling, 6/10 in Uncut and 5/10 in the NME too.

They're one of the few bands that haven't really put a foot wrong for me. Head First wasn't a great album but contained enough good moments to keep me going to it (Alive, Rocket, Hunt). Tales of us is just a stunning album all the way through. It reminds me of the Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man album at times and some songs make me think of David Sylvian's Secrets of the Beehive which is obviously no bad thing.

Shorter version of Goldfrapp reviews: "Where's the drop?"

A Goldfrapp album poll would be interesting, bet votes would be fairly evenly spread across three or four albums.

Shorter version of Goldfrapp reviews: "Where's the drop?"

also "why do they keep switching up their style?'

i've always liked that they've gone back and forth between styles but even when i like the sound, so many goldfrapp songs don't hit the spot for me since the black cherry singles - i loved the sound of seventh tree but can't recall a single song (and the whole thing just made me want to listen to beth gibbons & rustin man), and that's about where i am with this one, albeit the sound is hitting me harder. got to live with a bit more to see whether it grows on/off me though

the drop is in "Thea" obviously

A+ "this is what this reminds me of" albums though (hadn't thought of the catherine howe in ages!) the obvious comparison would be bat for lashes ("trophy" etc) at times, maybe the nick cave album from earlier this year?

Yeah, definitely Bat For Lashes. The Goldfrapp album has lately been in rotation for my mellow time listening with The Haunted Man and the new Laura Marling album.

i am going to get this next week.
just found head first in a charity shop and it's ace.
tonight is goldfrapp night @ hq.
i agree with kp.
they have yet to put a foot wrong.

"i would have thought the reviews would be all over this ..

but no.

the general consensus seems to be : 'couple of good songs, the rest is boring .. '

i am split.

do i buy this now, or wait a few weeks for the £5 fopp deal."

^ Feeling like this, really. Can't quite bring myself to buy it (though in part that's probably from an awareness that I've spent a lot on CDs recently).

Pleasantly surprised that this went it at number 4 in the album charts today. I know album sales are quite low at the moment but there doesn't seem to have been hype for it at all, thought they would struggle.

This is Album of the year for me at this point.

Looking to be a choice between this, Olafur Arnalds, and Woodkid for me. Loving this album's lush splendor and consistency.

Based on love for this and Olafur, am checking out Woodkid IMMEDIATELY

You should ! His album and videos are amazing.

OK, that Woodkid album is lovely. Thanks!

You're welcome! Thanks for the report back. Fun to spread the appreciation.

I was actually thinking about doing a search on ILM last week to see if he had a thread or something. He definitely deserves it. He's amazing live too. Go if you can.

Ha, yup, Woodkid has a thread. I checked for that same reason, and found one I started in March to rave about the album. Surprised more people haven't commented on it, with him being featured in commercials lately.

This is fantastic, the best they've sounded in years. This sounded particularly great on a cold sunny walk this morning.

It's funny how at the time FM sounded so derivative and yet more than 10 years later I can't think of anything similar to it - this is so vital, I was trying to explain to the teenagers in my work what Goldfrapp sound like and I couldn't think of anyone to compare them to properly, especially at their most pastoral and delicate.

this is seriously growing on me - especially "annabel" and "thea" - to the point where i think it might be their best album since felt mountain

gotta live with it a bit more tho, no doubt the onset of autumn will help

Stunning performance on Jools this week.

http://youtu.be/acPlW6RI8ZI

It's all about Drew-Ulla-Alvar. So beautiful.

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/oct/03/stockhausens-electric-dreams-will-gregory
thing on Stockhausen by Will Gregory from the band from yesterday's Guardian.

still stands up this, it's a beautifully crafted thing. one of the best albums a band have put out after a Best Of that i can ever remember.

it's lovely

Thanks for the thread revival. i had totally forgotten about this. I bought the download at the time. Yes it is cosy comforting stuff. Nice music to fall asleep to.

Yeah, this is still a very beautiful record. My second favourite Goldfrapp after Black Cherry.

Ready for a new album now.

Yes it is cosy comforting stuff. Nice music to fall asleep to.

― it's the distortion, stupid! (alex in mainhattan)

There's an underlying melancholy though which makes it more than that.

New album early 2017 is the rumour.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BOSQEaMgjGg/

album art suggests not another tales of us

Yay! Another synthpop record a la Supernature, I hope!