Goldfrapp Seventh Tree CD Review
The New Folk Tinged Album Sprouts New Direction for Electronic Duo
British electronic glammers, Goldfrapp, release their fourth studio album Seventh Tree with lots of mellow guitars and less dance-oriented material.
Seventh Tree, the fourth album from British electronic act Goldfrapp, leans more towards the acoustic and folk side of music than previous efforts. While the band, lead by Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory, doesn’t completely erase its electronic roots on Seventh Tree, this new collection of songs emphasises their breezier side with a stronger focus on ethereal sounds and Alison’s voice than previous dance –oriented material.
Long time Goldfrapp fans may be in for a shock when they hear the first strums of an acoustic guitar on album opener “Clowns” especially after the glamfest of their last album Supernature. But one of Goldfrapp's strongest points has been their consistent musical evolution.
Seventh Tree More ‘Acoustic’
While the band’s last two albums, Black Cherry and Supernature, fuelled dance floors with hard-line electronic anthems such as “Strict Machine” and glam pop gems such as “Oh La La”, Seventh Tree tenderly welcomes the morning after.
Songs such as “Caravan Girl”, which repeats the chorus “we run away, we run away you and me” and lead single “A&E”, reflect the moody, hypnotic vibe of the record. After three albums of dance material, Goldfrapp explores atmospheres and autumnal themes on the “Road to Somewhere” and “take our time, see the sights”.
Goldfrapp have switched gears yet move forward, testing new waters. While the band employs a more minimalist approach to electronic wizardry on Seventh Tree, and infuses this record with more organic instruments, the album follows its own beat.
“We danced on the moon / We danced by the sea /That land of blue gold /Is where we were free,” sings Goldfrapp on “Little Bird”, reflections perhaps of the English countryside where the band wrote and recorded the album.
Monster Love
Seventh Tree contains a tinge of otherworldliness and far out weirdness. “Some People” a slow, straight forward piano driven track explores themes of apparent mental illness. “Some people kill for less / Some people find it hard to get dressed / Some people, well / Ask how old I am,” Alison whisper-sings as if offering a shoulder to another on the brink of depression. “You know it / You owe it to yourself / You won't let it make you mad / It's already crazy.”
Musically, Seventh Tree, has a more earthy touch yet remains every bit as interesting and intriguing as previous efforts. “Cologne Cerrone Houdini” sounds like 60’s French pop while “Happiness” hums along like a 70’s campfire sing along, and “Eat Yourself”, filled with static and harpsichord tickles, fashions a mellow psychedelic atmosphere – a clear departure from earlier material.
With all the glimmer stripped away, lead singer Alison Goldfrapp’s voice takes centre stage on Seventh Tree and her mind-twisting lyrics resound stronger. A great record for fans and new listeners to explore and rediscover with each spin.
