Goldfrapp are Alison Goldfrapp, a former collaborator
with Tricky and Orbital, and Will Gregory, and they’ve
just released a brilliant first album. Children of John
Barry, Ennio Morricone and 60’s French pop, they play
with melodies and orchestrations like others with buckets
and spades.
Goldfrapp create a very atmospheric soundtrack with
Felt Mountain. From Lovely Head, the
opener, the listener is transported into their bittersweet
pop song universe. More Portishead than Saint Etienne,
the pop aspect is only a pretext here. At times introvert
and dark, at others luminous, the songs from Felt
Mountain could be taken from the soundtrack of
a long lost James Bond movie. Goldfrapp charm, scare,
fascinate, create an ever-changing impression. Alison
is schizophrenic… at least in her singing. Sometimes
sounding like a young Shirley Bassey (Utopia),
she becomes Françoise Hardy in no time (Paper
Bag). The voice is intense, soulful, the lyrics
organic (“No time to fuck, but you like the rush, Where
would we, Be without sums” – Paper Bag), or
cynical (“My dog needs new ears, Make his eyes see forever,
Make him live like me” – Utopia).
Goldfrapp might be new kids in town, but you will hear
from them again no doubt… Felt Mountain is
going to be big… a landmark album!
5/5 |