Glam atmospheres, club lights, danceable tracks?
None of this in "Seventh Tree," the fourth, new, surprising album by the English duo Goldfrapp, following the success of "Supernature" and over a million copies sold.
The recipe for this radical change is simple: Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory, intoxicated by the popularity gained thanks to tracks like "Oh La La," made the courageous decision to reinvent themselves, retreating to their home in the Somerset countryside and conducting a recording session on the U.S. west coast, to give a touch of brightness to the new work.
Defining the musical genre that "Seventh Tree" belongs to is difficult, just as it is to describe the album's tracks, which are totally different from one another, yet at the same time homogeneous in sound.
The opening of Goldfrapp's wonderful musical journey is "Clowns," which fully demonstrates how much the duo has changed in just two years: Alison's seductive and sighing voice accompanies a simple folk arrangement of acoustic guitar, blending with a delightful string orchestra. Equally warm and sunny is "Little Bird," followed by the "Beatles-like" track "Happiness," energetic and built on an engaging chorus.
The "trio" "Road To Somewhere," "Eat Yourself," and "Some People" immerses the listener in a bucolic, serene environment, among pianos, violins, and acoustic guitars, and then reaches the masterpiece of the album "A&E," the most "radio-friendly" track, a moving hospital metaphor to narrate the lack of love. The "cinematic" atmosphere of "A&E" continues in the sensual "Cologne Cerrone Houdini," exudes joy in "Caravan Girl," and becomes psychedelic in the final "Monster Love."
In conclusion, "Seventh Tree" is a surprising work, decidedly not clichéd, rich in warm, bright atmospheres, where Alison Goldfrapp's magnificent voice stands out, more expressive and much more "human" compared to previous works.
The album is scheduled for release at the end of February on Mute Records.
Alison Goldfrapp echoes, the true driving force behind the album’s songs, which never ceases to surprise and enchant with its flexibility, almost like a Kate Bush of our times.
"Seventh Tree" is exactly the opposite of what everyone would have expected from Goldfrapp: there isn’t a single track that could be used in a nightclub.