New Goldfrapp Single

I'm cool with this direction - "Tales Of Us" is a great come-down record, but not sure I'd want a retread of that. Even on their lesser records (IMO) they still manage to provide some sublime highlights, like "Hunt" for example.

Production from Haxan Cloak makes me think it will still be mighty weird

https://www.popjustice.com/articles/alison-goldfrapp-interview-silver-eye/

It's weird that she refuses to name the album that she was disappointed with before release when it's obviously Head First. She's slagged it off a few times in the past.

^ Yeah. Was "Head First" the last album they did to get out of a contract or was that the Hits? It felt very "contractual" but it also contains some wicked tracks.

Head First is the only one of their albums I've never listened to.

6Music don't need a new single, they're not finished with "Strict Machine" yet!

(played about 2 days ago, followed by a tweet from a listener approving "Strict Machine is so 6Music...")

^ Yeah. Was "Head First" the last album they did to get out of a contract or was that the Hits? It felt very "contractual" but it also contains some wicked tracks.

― Everything Moves Towards The Sun (Ross)

Yeah, it was. Not long after it came out she said they needed more time on it and the record company had pressured them to make a pop album. She also said it was too shiny and maybe they should have given the songs away to other people. It's one of the albums that when I think about it, I don't really rate it but when I put it on I'm always pleasantly surprised. Hunt, Alive and Rocket would all make my Goldfrapp best of. Alison has named Voicething and Shiny & Warm as the highlights. They're my least favourite songs. Shiny & Warm is just a weak version of Satin Chic without the cool out of tune piano.

speaking of Voicething..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LXl4wUQXsQ

Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2euqyXXjmAo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dV_G0Xsbvhc&feature=youtu.be

More like it

Shit, not sure why it errored out. Anyway the new Goldfrapp song "Ocean" is good stuff

re: head first, I never even realized that album came out until recently. did they just dump that out there and disown it?

There were sings like "Rocket" and "Alive" which had some promotion but it seems that it didn't move mountains critically or do much for the band in retrospect. Personally I think it's got some sublime tracks like "Hunt" and "Dreaming" as well some other tracks which feel like retreads. The most beautiful thing about is probably the cover art which is visual bliss.

singles*

Head First seemed like them playing catch-up after typically being ahead of curve every other time. When I listened to it, I felt like it was a bunch of stuff I'd already heard other people do.

Oo, it's kind of a bit... proggy?

It's a great track. The opening synth could be out of a Pye Corner Audio/Ghost box track. Classic Goldfrapp arrangement wise - the shuddering fills at the chorus that surround the 4/4 pulse are filmic and momentous while the sonics are gnarled like something out of "Black Cherry". Insanely excited about this album if they do indeed merge the folk side with the electronic in a more symbiotic way.

^ Based on what they've been saying in interviews I mean, on that last point.

I liked Head First a lot, but then I'm a much bigger fan of synthpop than I am of acoustic folk.

I'm a much bigger fan of synthpop than I am of acoustic folk.

Me too, generally, but Tales of Us took my breath away (the first six tracks at least).

"Tales of Us" hit me hard as I was going through a break-up at that time. It's the closest Goldfrapp has sounded to "Felt Mountain" again with the exception of "Seventh Tree". "Stranger" sounds like it walked out of their first album.

ToU came out when I was going through a very bad patch of anxiety and low self-esteem and it was a great tonic.

Cheers chap. It's a refreshing consistent album sound wise IMO

Maybe best one yet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFCqp6I2lcs

I can't wait for this album now!

They've also been posting some quite funny pictures on their official FB, too.

With the exception of maybe Lana Del Rey, I can't think of an artist in the recent mainstream to be so entrenched in cinema as Goldfrapp. They're really a unique proposition. Any other artists that mine this territory?

The album is very good. It's not quite in the same league as Tales Of Us. I'm surprised how mellow the whole thing is. It's much more like Moon In Your Mouth than Anymore. Most of the album is similar in atmosphere to Forever, Time Out From The World, Black Cherry and Let It Take You.

I love all of those tracks, particularly 'Let It Take You' and 'Black Cherry' (I love how warm and bassy track is) so I absolutely without doubt can't wait to hear this now.

Kitchen person - sounds like my ideal Goldfrapp album - their slow tracks on "Black Cherry" and "Supernature" are my faves.

All-time Goldfrapp track is "White Soft Rope"

This album is phenomenal. It's the closest they've come to recreating the magic of "Black Cherry" and "Supernature" and feels like a course-correct to "Head First" (which I still like).

It's split roughly 50/50 between the stirring deep electro ballads and up-beat numbers, but the sequencing may make it seem like it's heavier on the slow tracks.

As far as Goldfrapp albums and their stylistic counterparts, I rank them as

Felt Mountain > Seventh Tree and Tales of Us are a piece (Tales of Us even nods to the whistling of "Lovely Head" in "Stranger").

Black Cherry > Supernature > Silver Eye

and Heads First is somewhat of an outlier to me, although the new one revisits the sound in "Everything is Never Enough".

surprise i love a goldfrapp album

feel like this is their moodiest electrofrapp record but that may be a consequence of the sequencing

^ Sounds about right Brad, it's definitely their moodiest - it's pretty unrelenting in that. Reminds me of their bsides which were always more evocative mood-wise

Only listened to it once, but already I completely disagree with Petridish's review: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/mar/30/goldfrapp-silver-eye-review-alexis-petridis-album-of-the-week

Where he hears stagnation I hear refinement, and I think it may be amongst their most original and inventive works in its quiet way. I feel it'll hold up to lot of relistening.

"moon in your mouth" is devastating

i'm just four tracks in and so far this seems like one of their best dance albums in a long time? Tigerman is dreamy.

It should come as a surprise to absolutely no one that I love this record.

it bothers me that none of the reviews mention Tales of Us in their "it blends the X of Felt Mountain, the Y of Black Cherry and Supernature, the Z of Seventh Tree and the utter crap of Head First" roundups

I think Tales Of Us is their best

it absolutely is

Supernature is.

Right now my order would go

Black Cherry
Tales Of Us
Seventh Tree
Silver Eye/Felt Mountain
Supernature
Head First

I can't decide which my favourite is out of Felt Mountain, Black Cherry and Tales of Us.

Love it. Best elektrofrappenplatte to date.

Felt Mountain is my favourite. "Deer Stop" is gorgeous.

"Faux Suede Drifter" on the new one is stunning

New one kinda harkens back to this feel at times

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1txW6tMaOos

I tyhi k the second half of this is better. The first half is more or less divided between stompers and chillers, whereas the songs on the second sound like they have a folk attitude compositionally, and an electro one in terms of arrangement.

Second half of this is great, starting with the aforementioned amazing "Faux Suede Drifter".