Well, this is the album I think Shan and I have been waiting for with baited breath. Head First is the fifth album from the duo of Will Gregory and Allison Goldfrapp. Upon first listen, it’s clearly yet another unique endeavor by this delightful pair that never ceases to amaze, shock and entertain me and plenty of others. Always ethereal and lyrically as mystifying at times as Tori Amos, Goldfrapp has put down their lutes and acid-tripping acoustic guitars from their last album Seventh Tree and travelled back to the big choruses and hooks of 80′s power pop. Thank goodness.
Justin’s standout track: I Wanna Life
Shan’s standout track: Shiny and Warm
Read my full review after the jump…
In the canon of Goldfrapp, each album is uniquely its own element. Most people, even fans, lose sight of Goldfrapp’s ability to make each project stand on its own two feet, taking wisdom from the predecessor, but never trying to emulate, imitate or duplicate the previous efforts. If ever a band came out of the gate each time with something unexpected, it would have to be Goldfrapp.
Even from the lead cut and first single, Rocket, it’s clear that the folksy tone of Seventh Tree is gone and that whilst we haven’t gone back to the electro-glam of Supernature or Black Cherry, we are getting back into the foot-stomping epics that we love to hear. (See the video for Rocket here.)
The album is only 9 songs long, so each one has to count it seems. Believer is another uptempo track with a simple, breezy chorus that proves that sometimes simplicity is just right and serves so well.
Alive is one of the standout tracks for me and I hope it’s a single. The piano and guitar bits just make it, as does the “Hello, hello…” before the chorus. Then there’s the spacey galactic sounds…that make me lose my shit. It’s like 80′s pop meets Hair or something.
Dreaming slows things down a bit and give us a little bit of a darker turn. This is also classic Goldfrapp where I literally have to just feel the song because I can barely understand 3/4 of the words. Whatever she’s saying, it sounds serious. Seriously sexy. And like the lyrics say, “I don’t want to leave…”
Next up is the album title track, Head First which starts out with another piano chord progression that feels like you’ve heard it before. Then the chorus kicks in, and I know this will sound bizarre, but it reminds me of Wham!’s Last Christmas a little bit in the staccato synth. This is one of my favorites off the album in that it’s just that great 4/4 time and all the elements just swirl around together perfectly for a song that makes me smile. It also reminds me of Jefferson Starship’s Nothing’s Going To Stop Us Now (which totally makes me want to own Mannequin on DVD today!)
Hunt is one of the more bizarre tracks on the album. Another downtempo/experimental track that features a lot of vocal play in the background and more indiscernible lyrics.
Sounding like it could have come from Supernature, Shiny and Warm starts with sultry vocal delivery and a thumping bass-line and not letting much else get in the way of that.
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I Wanna Life is the hands-up-in-the-air song for the club and hopefully there will be some remixes that take this song to the next level that I can envision it going. The breakdown should be eventful live with lots of hand claps in the audience:
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The last track on the album, Voicething, is just that – a voice ‘thing.’ Going back to the experimentation on songs like Slippage and Felt Mountain, this track is all about the layers. The last 15 seconds are chilling.
Head First is a summertime album if I ever heard one. It’s one of those albums that you put on in your car and just drive with the top down, windows open and blare. It’s meant for hot, sweaty days and sunsets filled with cocktails and friends. And for those who are tired of the whole 80s revival, not many have done the 80s this way, drawing from Van Halen vs Moroder or New Order. Many reviews are positive, but allude that something is missing and that it’s Alison’s darker lyrics, whereas this album is a little more positive in its tone.
I couldn’t give a fat rat’s. It’s fun, it’s dreamy and that’s what Goldfrapp ought to be. Head First is available now.
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