Occasionally a band will be accused of reinventing itself. Goldfrapp’s rise to prominence came in 2003 with the acclaimed album Black Cherry, bringing a kind of new wave dance/electronca into the world of indie rock. The band followed this success with Supernature in 2005 opting for a more sassy in-your-face approach but in spite of initial success the songs were for the most part empty and soulless. The remix release We Are Glitter did little to alleviate this vacuous sound bit did give us a glimpse of the future. The future that is Seventh Tree. It’s not so much a reinvention as a reworking of an original idea. And the second time around, they have got it right…The delicate opening of Clowns immediately tells you what to expect from Seventh Tree. Alison’s vocals are dreamy yet strong, lapsing into empty lyrics and becoming another instrument. It certainly deserves the new ‘folk’ tag but only in approach - as it is all samples (neither of the duo can play guitar). With a minute to go they throw birdsong into the mix and things glide away and become soaked in summer strings.
Little Bird has all the beginnings of a nursery rhyme with AG sounding strangely robotic while musing over distant lands and weird creatures: ‘The shiny blackest crow flew in to say hello, though much to her surprise he had two mouths for eyes’. The chorus is a simple ‘July’ in three extended segments and pierces the slow jilting guitar melody like a ray of sun coming through dark clouds. The song threatens to get too upbeat when Beatles-eque psychedelia arrives but then the whole arrangement lifts with AG’s wonderful vocals drowning out her own chorus. It’s an early highlight and astonishing.
Happiness echoes back to previous Goldfrapp sound, again washed with a dreamy floating arrangement. It’s a solid uplifting song. ‘Join our group and you will find harmony and peace of mind. Make you better. We're here to welcome you’ makes you think they have been watching too much Wicker Man and listening to 1960’s self help tapes in a commune. But the modern warning of being coerced into a cult is all too evident. ‘How do you get to find love? Real love?’ sums up the premise at the song fades.
After such a strong start, Road To Somewhere initially sounds like a loss of momentum. It’s stuck in a mid-tempo world which always teases to get going but never does. But lyrically the song is wonderful - probably the most complete and pleasing on the album. Eat Yourself sounds like several very old recording all pieced together. AG’s vocals are horrible and incoherent but the whole effect is compelling especially when the light melody kicks in. Thankfully the song takes some shape even if the subject is hard to follow. The last minute is filled with small ideas and lots of different instrumentation lovingly crafted together.
Some People is not one of the best songs on the album and from the opening it sounds like a cover of the Cliff Richard classic (thankfully not). What it does do is attempt to explain the current mood and so called ’change of direction’. AG immediately reacts to media intrusion: ’Some people kill for less. Some people find it hard to get dressed. Some people will ask how old I am’ highlights how far people will go for the smallest piece of information. The line ‘When the glitter's gone‘ is great moment as it is AG saying that underneath all the pomp and attitude Goldfrapp is two human beings. And the chorus: ‘You know it. You owe it to yourself. You won't let it make you mad. It's already crazy’ sums it up. The song is deep and reflective.
From here, the album slides into the glorious ambiguity of A&E. It defines the musical high point of Seventh Tree, a wonderfully crafted 3 minute pop song about an ill fated night out or a self induced night in. ’I'm in a backless dress on a pastel ward that's shining. Think I want you still. But there may be pills at work’. You decide. The arrangement and vocals on the chorus: ‘was feeling lonely, feeling blue. Feeling like I needed you. Like I'm walking up surrounded by me. A&E’ is strong and effective. This is a contender for song of the year.
The high standard is maintained into the superbly freaky strings of Cologne Cerrone Houdini. This could definitely have been lifted again from the Wicker Man and comes complete with reversed lyrics ending. It could be prog-folk in another life. What it is about is anyone’s guess.
The penultimate song Caravan Girl is also a revelation, another beautifully formed pop song and the only really fast piece on the album. A great catchy chorus is framed with energy and radiance - like St. Etienne at their best. The band has shrugged off the over-the-top camp nonsense of the past. A great choral vocal mix brings in the last minute which should by rights dive into a three minute Chemical Brothers style outro to the song and the album. What actually happens is a bit of a missed opportunity as the finale Monster Love makes for a downbeat end. It’s a good enough song but to many influences cloud the outcome. As pleasant and inoffensive as it is, nothing happens. ‘Everything comes around, bringing us back again. Here is where we start and where we end…’ sings AG as the album fades away. Subtle but ultimately disappointing.
As always a band moving with the times will create a great deal of hype and criticism. Seventh Tree is not a complete change from the original Goldfrapp sound, now devoid of soul and attitude. The band have delivered slow melodic pieces before, soaked in psychedelic overtones so an entire album based on such an approach is expected and genuine. It worked for Radiohead - up to a point. Making music is about taking in old ideas and crafting them into something new. And music is about taking risks and changing direction, not to everyone’s taste and expectation. Seventh Tree is not brilliant but it is quite often breathtaking, always interesting and very much the right direction.
-- CS
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