Album Review: Goldfrapp - Seventh Tree
Sometimes experimentation isn’t always a good thing. And while Seventh Tree, the latest musical creation of Alison Goldfrapp and her electro partner in crime Will Gregory, marks a new, diversifying step in the sound of the acclaimed duo, the end product is perhaps as mystifying as their efforts to downplay any early press.
Gone are the euphoric electric beats and disco rock sounds that made 2005’s Supernature a dance pop masterpiece. Instead, Seventh Tree offers Goldfrapp’s best Bjork imitation. The catchy rhythms of “Ride a White Horse” and the booming synthesizer of “Ooh La La” have been replaced by endless folk melodies and acoustic guitars rifts. Goldfrapp described the album as a “sensual counterpoint to the glitterball glamour of Supernature.” However, in the end, Seventh Tree’s overall musicality fails to convey even the slightest of emotions.
Experimentation is by no means a bad thing. But Goldfrapp’s 360 degree reversal in sound exceeds even the loosest of the word’s definition. While the soft, mellow sound of Seventh Tree exemplifies Alison Goldfrapp’s best vocal work to date, it also leaves an empty void in the overall musicaility of the album. The rhythms lack complexity, the sound feels almost soulless. We’re talking about Goldfrapp here, not Feist, not Alanis Morissette.
Fortunately, the album does not deviate from Goldfrap’s normal exceptionally convoluting, yet eerily real lyrics. Seventh Tree’s first single “A&E” deals with the nature of suicide in a somehow glossy, elegant manner, while “Happiness,” could very well be an underlying attack at Scientology.
What more, by no means is the album without quality songs. While “Cologne Cerrone Houdini” exhibits all the aforementioned characteristics of the album’s over done experimentation, the orchestral backing sound met with the grace of Goldfrapp’s vocals make for a powerful tune. Yet in the end, “Happiness,” easily the album’s best track, exhibits that even with the smallest of electric influenced melodies, Goldfrapp are at their best.
The moral of the story? Don’t change something that isn’t broken. Goldfrapp earned their critical acclaim for catchy electro-heavy beats and glam rock. While any attempt at experimentation is certainly commendable, Goldfrapp do it in such a way that they change the entire nature of their music. In the end, this was neither needed, nor successful.
Rating: 
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Check Out:
“A&E”
“Little Bird”
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“Seventh Tree offers Goldfrapp’s best Bjork imitation….endless folk melodies and acoustic guitars rifts”
I clearly haven’t been listening to enough Bjork. I can’t think of a single song of hers that features endless folk melodies OR acoustic guitars. And it riffs not rifts.
Wow, this upset a lot of me. I believe everyone is titled to their opinions.
“Don’t change something that isn’t broken.” Say what? This review epitomizes the notion that anybody can call themselves a reviewer nowadays. Supernature was the biggest departure to Goldfrapp’s sound. If anything, Seventh Tree is in a way going back to their roots. Although I love “electro-glam-rock” Goldfrapp, Seventh Tree is some of their most beautiful work to date.
a fan since their creation, your review makes little sense.
She’s doing a very good Olsen twin impersonation. Music reminds me of more acoustic St Etienne numbers.
Couldn’t disagree more with this review’s conclusions, particularly that the music “fails to convey even the slightest of emotions.” I find it dripping with emotion from start to finish.
While it’s unclear if the reviewer has listened to Black Cherry or Felt Mountain, it seems they haven’t. Supernature is Goldfrapp’s worst album by miles. Very generic and samey after a while, and not on any sorto f a par with Black Cherry, Felt Mountain OR Seventh tree.
I love the fact they change completely album to album, and still work.
I have to agree with you about Pitchfork reviews. I usually look at whatever lame number they gave the album and move on. Really only a good source to hear about new albums out. As far as this album, It’s alright fingernail clipping music. At least she isn’t singing sea shantys (sp?) as the cover might suggest. but yeah.. the rhythms are lame. I’ve never been so much into her albums as i thought I might after her work with Tricky
Anonymous is becoming my favorite poster.
Sorry you didn’t like it, but I find Pitchfork reviews way to overdone to even read them.
So no we did not “go with what Pitchfork wrote.”
Do you all think out these reviews yourself or just go with what Pitchfork wrote.. ?
Mar 11th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
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