Goldfrapp - Silver Eye
Silver Eye
Goldfrapp
Tiger Rating: 8.0 / 10
Electro Noir
Moved by a documentary about a transgender youth, and inspired by her eloquence and emotion, Alison Goldfrapp and partner Will Gregory penned the track 'Become The One' for 'Silver Eye', the duo's seventh studio album and first in four years. The track, which ultimately goes nowhere in particular, is driven by Alison's robot vocals. "Recognize / synchronize / harmonize / what's inside". Is it a command? A suggestion? It's hard to tell, because, unlike the subject matter the inspiration was drawn from, there is zero emotion in the track. Long time fans of the duo will not be surprised by the schizophrenic nature of Goldfrapp. The Yin and Yang swing of their career has seen them fully embrace glorious. sweeping acoustic cinemascapes, and, an album later, don platforms, spangly jumpsuits and ride glitterball unicorns in a celebration of electro glam excess.
Whether it's the romance or the sex, the heat or the tundra, Goldfrapp have often only been able to deliver on one or the other at a time. On 'Silver Eye', through some studio wizardry curtesy of two well chosen guest producers, they manage to combine both sounds and personas into one cohesive, intricate vision that sees them finally, fully embodying their ethos as a band. Becoming who they are.
Not to say that it's perfect. In fact, the one way the album is let down is in it's two opening tracks. Driving lead single 'Anymore' had all the fanboys salivating for what was to come.
It's accompanying self-made video hinted at a return to the 'Supernature', 'Black Cherry' heyday of the band - when the duo was at their campest and most excessive.
Whilst it might not have been the freshest sound we've heard from them (and subsequently all the people they've inspired, from Katy Perry to Ladyhawke, have been milking the sound for all its worth), in the context of their career it was great to hear them return to that acid glam electro sound. The second track on the album is in the same, glitter coated vein. Part woman, part sex robot, Alison Goldfrapp reminds us of her process of songwriting and even manages to give it a name. 'Systemagic' she calls it, and we are very pleased to be transported back in time to when she sang about sex toys in the mainstream music charts.
It is only with 'Tigerman' that the albums starts revealing it's intentions: to further explore the darker reaches of their musical inspiration, and in so doing fully encompass their identity as artists. The opening tracks were a mere re-introduction. The rest of the album plays out like an exploration. And it is upon the successful completion of this voyage that the listener wonders where they could conceivably go next in their career.
'Faux Suede Drifter' is a pristine meeting of dark and light, soft and sturdy. The swirling electronic landscape is somehow the perfect home for Alison's warm, cooing vocals. 'Zodiac Black' could very well be a 'Vulcinura' cast off for it's first minute of life. Producer Bob Krlic's presence is felt very obviously here and elsewhere. His ability to create shimmering electronic soundscapes that glint with malice was exactly what the duo needed to achieve their vision of an album that is darker in places that anything they've attempted before. 'The Beast That Never Was' may have had a more successful life had it remained a purely abstract and lyricless song. The tentative pad sounds that open the track are reminiscent of the 'Stranger Things' soundtrack, evoking a prickly sense of anticipation that is ultimately dulled by more of the same soft, breathy vocals about the moon and other celestial bodies from Alison. It's not that the album becomes monotonous at this point, but just a tweak could have been well utilized here - leave space for the truly silvery, gossamer tracks to breathe. At least one interlude without vocals wouldn't have been amiss to help the album truly expand.
'Everything Is Never Enough' is the tentative toe-dip back into the rushing waters. It's a mid tempo filler that manages only to shatter the ice. At this point it sounds as if the album is gearing up for a soaring, triumphant conclusion. What comes next, however is the heart of the monster and quite possibly the most beautiful track Goldfrapp and Gregory have ever constructed. 'Moon In Your Mouth' is a delicate, glimmery synth ballad, held lightly and breathing freely, given life by the bass and Alison's perfect vox. It's subtle, dreamy and yet fully realised. In a word, perfect.
Whatever hope, optimism and enjoyment it conjures is however cast aside on the album's closing track. 'Ocean' is post-apocalypitic disco suicide. The drums kick in at the 0:59 mark and pull out after 13 bars, leaving Goldfrapp to lament "the hell she's in" and to look to the skies for a saviour.
Goldfrapp
Tiger Rating: 8.0 / 10
Electro Noir
Moved by a documentary about a transgender youth, and inspired by her eloquence and emotion, Alison Goldfrapp and partner Will Gregory penned the track 'Become The One' for 'Silver Eye', the duo's seventh studio album and first in four years. The track, which ultimately goes nowhere in particular, is driven by Alison's robot vocals. "Recognize / synchronize / harmonize / what's inside". Is it a command? A suggestion? It's hard to tell, because, unlike the subject matter the inspiration was drawn from, there is zero emotion in the track. Long time fans of the duo will not be surprised by the schizophrenic nature of Goldfrapp. The Yin and Yang swing of their career has seen them fully embrace glorious. sweeping acoustic cinemascapes, and, an album later, don platforms, spangly jumpsuits and ride glitterball unicorns in a celebration of electro glam excess.
Whether it's the romance or the sex, the heat or the tundra, Goldfrapp have often only been able to deliver on one or the other at a time. On 'Silver Eye', through some studio wizardry curtesy of two well chosen guest producers, they manage to combine both sounds and personas into one cohesive, intricate vision that sees them finally, fully embodying their ethos as a band. Becoming who they are.
Not to say that it's perfect. In fact, the one way the album is let down is in it's two opening tracks. Driving lead single 'Anymore' had all the fanboys salivating for what was to come.
It's accompanying self-made video hinted at a return to the 'Supernature', 'Black Cherry' heyday of the band - when the duo was at their campest and most excessive.
Whilst it might not have been the freshest sound we've heard from them (and subsequently all the people they've inspired, from Katy Perry to Ladyhawke, have been milking the sound for all its worth), in the context of their career it was great to hear them return to that acid glam electro sound. The second track on the album is in the same, glitter coated vein. Part woman, part sex robot, Alison Goldfrapp reminds us of her process of songwriting and even manages to give it a name. 'Systemagic' she calls it, and we are very pleased to be transported back in time to when she sang about sex toys in the mainstream music charts.
It is only with 'Tigerman' that the albums starts revealing it's intentions: to further explore the darker reaches of their musical inspiration, and in so doing fully encompass their identity as artists. The opening tracks were a mere re-introduction. The rest of the album plays out like an exploration. And it is upon the successful completion of this voyage that the listener wonders where they could conceivably go next in their career.
'Faux Suede Drifter' is a pristine meeting of dark and light, soft and sturdy. The swirling electronic landscape is somehow the perfect home for Alison's warm, cooing vocals. 'Zodiac Black' could very well be a 'Vulcinura' cast off for it's first minute of life. Producer Bob Krlic's presence is felt very obviously here and elsewhere. His ability to create shimmering electronic soundscapes that glint with malice was exactly what the duo needed to achieve their vision of an album that is darker in places that anything they've attempted before. 'The Beast That Never Was' may have had a more successful life had it remained a purely abstract and lyricless song. The tentative pad sounds that open the track are reminiscent of the 'Stranger Things' soundtrack, evoking a prickly sense of anticipation that is ultimately dulled by more of the same soft, breathy vocals about the moon and other celestial bodies from Alison. It's not that the album becomes monotonous at this point, but just a tweak could have been well utilized here - leave space for the truly silvery, gossamer tracks to breathe. At least one interlude without vocals wouldn't have been amiss to help the album truly expand.
'Everything Is Never Enough' is the tentative toe-dip back into the rushing waters. It's a mid tempo filler that manages only to shatter the ice. At this point it sounds as if the album is gearing up for a soaring, triumphant conclusion. What comes next, however is the heart of the monster and quite possibly the most beautiful track Goldfrapp and Gregory have ever constructed. 'Moon In Your Mouth' is a delicate, glimmery synth ballad, held lightly and breathing freely, given life by the bass and Alison's perfect vox. It's subtle, dreamy and yet fully realised. In a word, perfect.
Whatever hope, optimism and enjoyment it conjures is however cast aside on the album's closing track. 'Ocean' is post-apocalypitic disco suicide. The drums kick in at the 0:59 mark and pull out after 13 bars, leaving Goldfrapp to lament "the hell she's in" and to look to the skies for a saviour.
Besides the lack of suprise on the two opening tracks and the slight monotony on 'The Beast That Never Was', the only other hair I have to split on this otherwise triumph of a record is in the pacing of it. Trite though the beginning may be, it's enjoyable nonetheless, and effectively leads us out into the colder reaches of space. Then the rocket hits turbulence and we're thrown off course somewhat by the shifting tones of the final three tracks. It came close to being absolutely perfect and I think they could have benefited from having a single producer cast his magic over the album as a whole, rather than work on individual tracks.
That's a minor criticism though. 'Silver Eye' is haunting in it's devatstation and disarming in it's warmth. What more could you want from Goldfrapp?
That's a minor criticism though. 'Silver Eye' is haunting in it's devatstation and disarming in it's warmth. What more could you want from Goldfrapp?
Having reached the moon, their focal point and inspiration for this album, and found it's atmosphere to be as bleak and devastating as the planet they left, the lingering question left to the listener and fan of the band is "where next?". The downside of fully realising and combining all of your inspiration over a near 20 career is, now that you've reached and realised your goal fully, completely and entirely, where do you go?
To now return to their delicate acoustic incarnation would surely be an anticlimax. If this was the band's swan song record, it would be a great way to go out. The brightest star in their constellation. Another way of looking at this, however, and perhaps its the perpective that they intentionally ignored on this album, is the postive perspective. Having fully embodied their influences and reached their destination, where do they go from here?
To now return to their delicate acoustic incarnation would surely be an anticlimax. If this was the band's swan song record, it would be a great way to go out. The brightest star in their constellation. Another way of looking at this, however, and perhaps its the perpective that they intentionally ignored on this album, is the postive perspective. Having fully embodied their influences and reached their destination, where do they go from here?
Well the universe is wide open. Maybe this is just the successful completion of the first of many voyages?
May that be true and long live the weird and curious.
May that be true and long live the weird and curious.
WVS
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