Goldfrapp's most complete album ever (Seventh Tree - Goldfrapp)

Member Name: paulie1975

Product:	Seventh Tree - Goldfrapp
Date:	03/05/09 (52 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Amazing Vocals, gorgeous soundscapes and production, grown up and awesome

Disadvantages: Nothing

Until now Goldfrapp have had a synthetic almost fake feel to them, as if they were at the party pointing and laughing at people. Their music has been hard disco with some great vocals and sounds, but a real emptiness to the sound, full of interesting noises but no soul.

Seventh Tree is their fourth album and marks a real change of direction, they have ditched the Disco (which was brilliant in its own right but cold and austere) and created something beautiful and with real heart and soul.



Album Tracks

Clowns - This is a beautiful song, the rolling acoustic guitar is gentle and the background music too is gentle enough to allow Allison Goldfrapp's delicate, nuanced vocal to shine through. The song is beautiful with flowing strings section, vocals touched by golddust and a stunning sense of production, immediately you know this album is very different to their previous efforts and the tone has been set.

Happiness - The initial sound is distorting as with many of the older songs, however, Allison's voice is less ethereal and much more human, the vocals are warmer and more loving, this is a lovely song, uplifting and special. I have to say by the second track I have already been utterly seduced by this album, it is brilliantly produced, vocally Allison is on top of her game and it still has enough Goldfrapp oddness to make it stand out from a number of other wonderful British singers at the moment.

Road to Somewhere - The musical soundscape is interesting on this tune as it is understated, as is Allison's voice, this really allows her to build the song through lyrics which make sense rather than the usual mad vocals with seemingly senseless lyrics. This album is dreamy and utterly gorgeous, the music is relaxing, the vocal is like Golden syrup, its lyrically intelligent and it's a perfect Sunday afternoon album for chilling out with a glass of wine and a loved one.

Eat Yourself - Gentle, the vocal is stunning on this track, Allison sounds somewhat like Kate Bush, the strings are stunning, I'm still shocked at the sea change compared to previous albums but it is a great song, gentle, almost like a fairy tale story, gorgeous, luxurious song.

Some People - Great build up of this tune, the production is immense, the vocals are stunning, the lyrics are simple but stirring, this is a gorgeous song, the piano guides Allison through the song and they combine perfectly, you can hear every nuance of her voice and its perfect. A great pop song with substance.

A&E - Lovely, the use of the faster organ and Allison's speeded up vocal are fantastic, this is a change of pace and direction slightly for this album, but it is a really great song, powerful, emotive and intense, again the vocal stands out, the production is immense and the song simply drips class and substance.


Cologne Cerrone Houdini - Gentle beat to start with coming across as incredibly Serge Gainsbourg, in fact the music could have been lifted from 'Un Histoire de Melodie Nelson', however, that can never ever be a bad thing, as he is a constant influence on their music, Allison's vocal sounds ghostly and really drifts through this breathy song, its beautiful and brings back memories of some songs on their second album, Felt Mountain, but it does feel more grown up and structured now. One of my favourite songs on this excellent, surprising album.


Caravan Girl - The poppiest song on the album, speeded up piano, guitar and drums, the vocals still stand out but this has a real touch of the Phil Spector wall of sound about it as your enveloped in a glorious noise, its utterly bewitching, this is a pop song that hails back to the sensibilities of the Beatles in style and content, its thorough, easy to listen to and brilliant.

Monster Love - Gentle, almost a come down, the music is weirdly interesting with a harpsichord type sound droning over gentler sounds, the lyrics are bittersweet and utterly gorgeous, the song switches between genres and has a real energy to it, it's a gorgeous song with an ounce of country music added to old Goldfrapp and even a bit of ELO. Brilliant.



My Verdict

On this Album, Allison really branches away from odd sensual temptress to becoming one of the great female vocalists of her generation, we know she can create strange vocal soundscapes with her stunning voice and be wilfully odd, but we also now know she can create soft, golden vocals over relaxed almost laid back tunes. This album is a real surprise for me and one of the best I have heard in a long time, it could be considered slow by some, but that entirely undervalues the production, the excellent instruments and the commanding vocals and lyrics of this gentle, winning album.

The album has pop sensibilities but aims much higher, there are nods of the cap to Gainsbourg, the Beatles and Phil Spector, the soundscapes created are transfixing and the album has a beguiling charm which is absent on many of their previous records and the output of most artists nowadays.

This is a timeless sound, there are nods to Felt Mountain at various points, the vocals are exceptional throughout, there is subtlely to the voice which allows it to be an instrument and much more than simply a beautiful sound.

As with many of my favourite albums, it is short and to the point, being only 9 tracks is actually better I think as the guys have thought about it and not added songs that might just pad it out, but created there best songs and simply said to the public, its 9 songs long but their 9 bloody good songs and not just 3 decent ones and a load of filler.

The lyrics are the best I've heard on a Goldfrapp album, intelligent, thoughtful and from the heart, I am surprised how much I love this album already.




Cost

Available in Amazon for £6.37, or £11.99 at HMV, on ebay or Amazon Marketplace you can get it for £4.

Summary: Utterly Beautiful, A real Surprise