Search - Goldfrapp :: Head First

Shiny and warm

E. A Solinas | MD USA | 03/23/2010

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I've given up on trying to figure out what signature sound Goldfrapp is going to embrace next -- they've gone for quirky electronica, robotic club dance, and delicate airy pop. So what do they do in "Head First"? Well, they've drifted back into dance territory, except that this brand of electronica is saturated in retro beats and swooshes.



The sound of a blast-off heralds "Rocket," a bouncy synthpop tune full of random tinkles and squidgy keyboard melodies. "Ooh oh oh, I got a rocket/oh oh oh, you're going on it/oh oh oh, you're never comin' back!" Goldfrapp sings gleefully in the middle of the song.



Things get a bit more downtempo in "Believer," in which the melody flows swiftly around the stacatto beats. And after that, we get a steady stream of bouncy, colorful synthpop that reeks of the 80s -- the icy vocal core of "Alive's" flittery pop anthem, the hard dancy flavor of "Dreaming," the delicate nighttime prettiness of the titular track.



The one thing I really, REALLY couldn't stomach: "I Wanna Life," a perky pop song that sounds like it was cribbed from a bad eighties musical. But there are also some interesting inclusions that are hard to classify -- they introduce a twisting electronic soundscapes of "Hunt," where Alison's vocals play second fiddle to the music. And the final song "Voicething" lives up to its title, dispensing with typical vocals, and instead embracing a ghostly eerie exploration of sound.



"Head First" is definitely not Goldfrapp's best work -- it's fluffy, radio-friendly pop music that only occasionally takes a twist into the unknown. In fact, it's kind of weird to have a band that has done so much cutting-edge music go back to eighties synthpop -- it's completely soaked in that 80s vibe (much like M83's "Saturdays = Youth"), and it left me wondering, "... is that it? They don't have anything new here? It's so... predictable."



For the record: the music is not bad, just predictable and relatively lightweight (compared to the brilliant "Black Cherry," "Felt Mountain" or "Seventh Tree"). Heated dance beats, shimmering layers, and undulating swathes of synth that buzzes, tinkles and whooshes like a spacebound rocket. And they dabble in some darker, more experimental songs in the second half, especially in "Voicething" -- it's a musical synth journey that drifts from one plateau to the next.



Alison Goldfrapp's beautifully chilly voice adds a distinctive sound to the album -- and she does some wonderfully weird stuff, like an entire song filled with inarticulate noises. No words at all. And the lyrics are sometimes even more vivid than the music: "Look at the trees in the dark/bending like a bony finger/Cry for the face on a little moon by the tree..."



"Head First" is a sleek, warm synthpop album that reeks of nostalgia, but that nostalgia also bogs it down -- it lacks the magical brilliance of Goldfrapp's prior works."

I can't imagine a world without Goldfrapp...

Paula Rucci Voigt | Wheaton, IL USA | 05/23/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"As far as I am concerned, they've done it again. The title track, "Head First" is my favorite on the album- an absolutely beautifully constructed heady ride. I cannot wait for re-mixes of this. "Voicething" is different and euphoric. "Rocket" grows on me the more I listen to it, but also, as with a lot of Goldfrapp's music, the re-mixes take the great melody and turn it into an addictive pleasure-filled experience, perfect for late night rides in your car, or in a pounding club. I always recommend the EP's for additional listening pleasure. If you're a fair weather "Strict Machine" fan, you might not be into this retro-80's flashback collection, but for me, it's pure sweetness."