A&E - Goldfrapp

Goldfrapp return with a brand new single, preceding their new album Seventh Tree. Goldfrapp started off in more ambient territory with debut album Felt Mountain before going off into synth glam with albums Black Cherry and Supernature. The latter in particular gained fans such as Madonna and thrust Alison Goldfrapp firmly into the limelight.

A&E and the forthcoming new album are a definite move away from this electro-stomp style according to all the pre-release blurb. So is it a move back to Felt Mountain? Not entirely if the single A&E is anything to go by.

The track kicks off with some gentle acoustic guitar and a lilting Goldfrapp vocal. The chorus sees Alison's vocals take on a much more angelic quality and the tempo rises slowly throughout the song. The start of the second song sees the appearance of synth, but it's not as prominent as some would probably like with the most prominent feature definitely the acoustic guitar. If anything, I'd say this is almost synth-folk. That may put off some people, but it's a great song.

The remixes are a bit 'meh' for me. The Gui Boratto mixes are ok, but ironically remind me quite a bit of Madonna, considering that the latter has been accused of copying Goldfrapp in the past. Not a huge fan of the last remix either. None of them really do the track justice, and I really should have known this from my recent track record with Depeche Mode remixes.

Looking forward to hearing Seventh Tree though…

This review originally appeared on www.synthpop.net earlier in 2008.