GOLDFRAPP HEAD FIRST ALBUM MUTE, EMI RELEASE: MARCH 19, 2010 REVIEW: MAY 4, 2010

Not so long ago I reviewed an album by Goldfrapp which ever so slightly blew me away - the album was “Seventh Tree” (read the review here). Well, Goldfrapp are back, and with surprise, surprise another new style - this time the synthesizer pop of the late 70:s and early 80:s. Now many people may feel this is the album they were destined to make….I wish they hadn’t.

Now though I love all things electronic, commercially poppy retro music was never my cup of tea, but if anyone could persuade me otherwise it would be Goldfrapp, so I’m more than happy to keep an open mind.

“Rocket” starts us off, and for many countries it was also the first single release. It’s very poppy, and slightly twee if I’m honest. It has good vocals, and sounds authentic of the era it apes, but I can’t find myself being moved by it. “Dreaming” is another one which I believe is meant to have an effect on me, but actually doesn’t. It’s very synthy and floaty, but also a bit meandering; it seemed to last every second of its five minutes.

“Hunt” is nice however; it stays on the right side of Goldfrapp’s best qualities - lovely, almost angelic vocals sweeping through the knitted synthesizer arrangements. “I Wanna Life” feels like it has been lifted from a "Kids from Fame" soundtrack LP, which isn’t necessarily a complaint, and “Voicething” is too good to be the last track, all multi-layering of voices and sine waves - it is by far the most interesting track on the album, and feels a little out of place when compared to what has gone before - how I wish more had been like it.

A lot of people may think that Goldfrapp are best when they play this kind of music, but I think the last album’s departure showed much more of their talent and musicality than here, it is almost "80:s by numbers" - I think they used to set the pace and could have produced this album a couple of years ago to great acclaim, but times change and people expect more, so it doesn’t feel like a progression from the last album, more a regression. Less leader of the pack, now more one of the crowd.

MIKE WHYTE