Goldfrapp
Head First
Rating: 2.5/5.0
Label: Mute
Half the fun of perusing Goldfrapp’s latest, Head First, is playing a game of name-the-synth -sound. Over the course of nine tracks, Head First finds Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory moving on from their gauzy 2008 detour, Seventh Tree, back toward the kind of rhythmically-oriented, expertly-crafted pop they’re known for. Though, instead of a move back toward the red patent leather bass frequencies of 2005′s Supernature or the electro-sultriness of 2003′s Black Cherry, Head First is the duo’s exploration of late ’70s electronics and ’80s dance pop.
Goldfrapp and Gregory’s exploration is so studied, though, that one can’t help but be constantly reminded of other songs or artists. Lead-off track and first single “Rocket” lifts the synth from Van Halen’s “Jump” for a rote-sounding verse and bridge before the chorus offers the melodic money shot of Goldfrapp’s coo: “Oh, oh, oh/ I’ve got a rocket.” “Believer” treads minimalist Kraftwerk territory and “Alive” sounds inspired by the opening of Gaye/Terrell’s “You’re All I Need to Get By,” though gaudily resplendent with Discovery-era ELO synthesizer. “Dreaming” finds the ambience ebbing ever ethereal with a Moroder sequencer line like those on From Her to Eternity. Kate Bush inhabits the slow-moving “Hunt” while piercing synth accents, a la Yaz decorate the song’s outskirts.
These sounds and referential nods don’t necessarily sound copped, though, instead lending a winsome quality to the songs which are helped by Goldfrapp’s ear for vocal melodies. It’s when one stops enjoying the ear candy long enough to look at the ingredients, in this case the lyrics, that the record starts sounding slight. In “Alive,” Goldfrapp sings “I woke up with the rising sun/ I was blinded by the light/ Jump up and pull on my jeans- feels good/ They’re a little tight;” combined with its buoyant melody, the song’s about one twirling, smiling lady away from soundtracking a tampon ad. Even the lyrical shortcomings of “Oh, oh, oh/ I’ve got a rocket/ Oh, oh oh/ You’re going on it” were forgivable, through sheer melodiousness, until the song’s subsequent, whispered “Three, two, one/ We have liftoff” arrives to induce groans. Ultimately, Head First is a pleasant enough synth pop record for those who shy from Gaga’s bombast, preferring a steadier hand at the mixing board and a music lover’s ear for recording.
by Chris Middleman
