Goldfrapp
Silver Eye

Alison Goldfrapp, who was she? The muse who danced gracefully in the night to the notes of “Utopia” and “Lovely Head,” moving between the dreamy atmospheres of “Annabel” and “A&E,” or the glittering diva of “Oh la la” and “Rocket”? Hard to say, because probably until recently not even she and her loyal collaborator Will Gregory, who have always seen their electronic soul divided between the dance and electro-clash impulses of “Supernature” and the ethereal ones of their debut “Felt Mountain” or the splendid “Tales of Us”, would have known. However, this year things might definitely change: for the first time in their career, Goldfrapp indeed creates an album that does not lean towards one part of their sound spectrum rather than the other but seems to unite everything they've done since their beginnings into a single container.

And indeed, in “Silver Eye” you can find a bit of everything that has characterized the British duo’s style until now: there’s the ignorant yet well-arranged dance-oriented single, “Anymore,” which is poised to become the new “Oh la la” and finds its ideal sequel in the almost Daft Punk-like pulses of “Systemagic,” a track of fine craftsmanship; then there’s the usual taste for layered and beautifully produced electronic arrangements (and it's no coincidence that John Congleton and The Haxan Cloak had a hand in it), which apply well not only to the more pop pieces like the aforementioned singles but also to the eerie “Zodiac Black” and “Faux Suede Drifter,” as well as in the dreamy “Moon in Your Mouth,” a slow and dreamlike synth ballad that, along with the concluding and dark “Ocean,” form a deadly pair (these are the best tracks of the batch) and perfect for closing the album beautifully.

An album that will surely satisfy the duo’s longtime fans and perhaps attract new ones, especially among those who have always viewed their two antithetical musical identities with some skepticism and who can now appreciate the best of both condensed into one album. Highly recommended!