Goldfrapp
Supernature

THE REVIEW

English people like synth. English people like dance. English people like rarefied. English people like artificial. English people like Goldfrapp, who are worthy representatives of the last (or penultimate) electro-lite season, terribly vintage, yet so frivolous, carefree, and magnetic that they remain, indeed, electrified. Two sides of the same coin: on one side the fascinating femme fatale of Her Majesty Alison Goldfrapp, the cabaret-style vocalist Darwinianly adapted to the chosen bionic stream, on the other side the deeply hidden Will Gregory, in the corner (by no means negligible) of sonic packaging. Halfway between the ethereal magic of synth pop fathers (primarily Depeche Mode), the flirt with dance floors and the glossy magazine splendor of undeniable pop perfection Minogue-Ellis Bextor, Goldfrapp managed to debut not even at the dawn of the new millennium with Felt Mountain (1999), an avant-garde and bizarre instrumental/ambient work that did little in the charts; the turn towards less ethereal and more intense sounds occurred with the following Black Cherry, however, the confirmation of the duo's potential through the shady, yet fundamental commercial success came precisely with Supernature and with the first release Ooh La La, the refined club anthem par excellence that completed the first career-puzzle of Alison and Will. The second (and current) season of Goldfrapp came to life with the eccentric folktronica project of Seventh Tree and the simpler and more mainstream-friendly Head First, the latest expression of the “little English ones” under analysis.

With Supernature, Goldfrapp continues the shift towards a more effective sonic concreteness undertaken with Black Cherry. Thus, the fluid and "gaseous" ambient-instrumental sensations of Felt Mountain gave way more and more to an electro-glitch-glam mix strongly linked to the legendary futuristic suggestions of the Eighties. The first release Ooh La La is a worthy demonstration of this: a powerful retro-robotic dance piece perfectly suited to runways and glitter. But the subsequent tracks are not far behind, with the funky-electronic Lovely 2 C U, the new wave - lounge inspirations in Satin Chic, the cheerful synth-rock of Fly Me Away and the disco-glam vibes of Ride A White Horse.

Tucked away in the middle of the tracklist, there are no shortages of reminiscences of the more "calm" Felt Mountain or even preludes to the extraspiritual mysticism of Seventh Tree: the ambient piano lullaby of Let It Take You, the semi-instrumental trip hop flavor in Time Out From The World, Alison's vocal dramas seasoned with synth in Koko and the rarefied and pseudo-lyrical nostalgia in You Never Know.

At times vintage, at times robotic, at times sexy glam, Supernature is a bold mix of all the "good" part of pop: the one with tributes to past decades executed without too many harmful shakes, the one with electronic choices devoid of superfluous artifices, the one with a microphone sensuality friendly to pavilions and orbits. In short, that of our “friends” Goldfrapp.

Goldfrapp, Supernature

Ooh La La - Lovely 2 C U - Ride a White Horse - You Never Know - Let It Take You - Fly Me Away - Slide In - Koko - Satin Chic - Time Out From The World - Number 1