Artist: Goldfrapp
Label: Mute Records
Release: 2010
Rating: 4/5
Goldfrapp is a project shaped together by composer Will Gregory (who has also worked with Peter Gabriel, among others) and the remarkable singer Alison Goldfrapp. They got seriously into making music as a duo in 1999, and before long a wave of excitement swept through their homeland of England (and most of Britain), then soon most of Europe too. Sadly, America unfairly overlooked them, and to this day the duo doesn’t exactly get the warmest reception from audiences there.
From the name Goldfrapp you might assume that Alison Goldfrapp is the main creator of the sound on the album, but that would be a serious miscalculation. The mastermind behind the band has been Will Gregory from day one. He took his concept up another notch by bringing in Alison Goldfrapp’s one-of-a-kind vocals, and landed a nice-sounding, shimmering band name in the bargain.
For the most part (and this album is no exception), Goldfrapp draw on the heritage of electro pop rock, dominated by Will Gregory’s synth sounds and Alison Goldfrapp’s sweet voice. There’s no overblown philosophy here, everything is pretty clear and upfront. The trump cards are always out in the open, even shoved right in your face: melody, vocals and lush keyboard arrangements. They stick to this musical guiding line on Head First right up to the last track, where they still manage a pleasant surprise with the more ambient Voicething, showing that they’ve got a wider range than just the basics.
Even though the duo is fairly firmly anchored on the pop/rock pier, Will Gregory’s refined musical vocabulary and his little “treats” add a few touches of art rock. That’s especially noticeable in the frequent rich keyboard arrangements, where sounds are stacked one on top of another and give the fairly simple basic form of the songs a depth and sophistication that pop music hasn’t embraced all that much. Gregory gets help with this from extra guest instruments like guitar and violin, which soften the synthetic-pop feel a bit and even bring in a bigger dose of rock (the drums and bass don’t hurt either). The singer proves this duo is no pushover: she never strains her vocal cords too much, yet even while staying in a comfortable range she never comes across as incapable. Quite the opposite, her delicate little voice is full of mischief and innocence at the same time, so despite the lack of effort, the whole thing feels dramatic and sincere.
So the musical foundation is seriously polished and goes beyond the general idea of cheap “synth” pop, because Gregory is never satisfied with average and always keeps building and perfecting. The lyrics fit the music well, but they rarely allow the kind of multi-layered interpretation the music does. That’s down to some pretty basic lyrics dealing with fairly light themes. But that’s kind of part of their shared personality anyway. Why keep wrestling with problems when we can have a good time? Coming from some other pen this could have turned out pretty wretched, but Goldfrapp manage to say it in a convincing, harmless and, most importantly, fun way.
Don’t expect a wild, reckless ride down the pop/rock fast lane from Head First. It’s more of a laid-back, relaxed, carefully thought-out pop/rock that always sends you off toward chilling out and carefree good vibes. Anyone willing to give the duo’s light but not lightheaded mission a chance will surely be richly rewarded. Goldfrapp basically follow the guidelines of electro pop/rock, but Will Gregory’s arranging skills, together with Alison Goldfrapp’s warm cooing, give the band a credibility that in many ways outshines much bigger pop names.
Lineup
Alison Goldfrapp – vocals
Will Gregory – keyboards
Guests: Alex Lee – guitar, Charlie Jones – bass, Chris Goulston – guitar, Davide Rossi – violin, Ged Lynch – drums
Production
Goldfrapp
Tracklist
1. Rocket 3:51
2. Believer 3:43
3. Alive 3:28
4. Dreaming 5:07
5. Head First 4:30
6. Hunt 4:34
7. Shiny and Warm 3:58
8. I Wanna Life 4:13
9. Voicething 4:44
