There seems to be some self-righteous hipster dickwads that have been displaying petty disdain over the new Goldfrapp record, Seventh Tree. They can’t believe that Goldfrapp completely did away with the ridiculously overhyped glam rock/club pop hybrid nonsense and created a (insert sarcastic GASP) more lush and laidback record, akin to their gorgeous debut Felt Mountain. These people want to all of a sudden riot in the streets as if they were in Bosnia or something, exclaiming their outrage over this blatant sacrilege. Well, I have three words for these people:
GET THE FUCK OVER IT. Oh, that’s five words, but that sounds better. I don’t understand it when people freak out whenever an artist or group tries to even remotely do something different rather than play the same ‘ole, same ‘ole record after record after record. Then, they act personally offended that the said artist would “betray” them. There’s an affliction named after this phenomena (of my own creation). I’d like to call it SYS (Sonic Youth Syndrome.)
Some people just can’t get over the fact that Sonic Youth aren’t re-recording Sister over and over and over and over again. OH NO! How horrible! That is just so terrible. How dare they!!! Bands evolve. Music evolves. That’s what makes music such a wonderful thing. I feel cheated sometimes if an artist or a band does the same thing over and over. Even if they fail or disappoint, I can at least respect the fact that they consciously tried to evolve in some way or other.
In the case of Goldfrapp, their sound has returned full circle to what made some of us fall in love with them to begin with. Felt Mountain, at its core, was not glammed up and prancing around in short shorts that it shouldn’t have been wearing in the first place. I liked the old Goldfrapp, with its lush atmospherics and angelic vocals. Alison’s voice is one of my favorite voices on the planet. Her vocals have the ability to put me into a happy place that not a lot of other voices can do.
At least with the second album, Black Cherry, I felt that there was still some beauty and grace that made Felt Mountain great. Although I don’t dislike Supernature, I felt that Supernature was too robotic in a “glamtacular” sorta-way, which in turn, minimized the lush dynamics of her voice. Therefore, I firmly believe that Seventh Tree is a valiant return to form for Alison and Will. Seventh Tree accentuates the qualities of Alison’s voice that made me fall in love with her in the first place.
Maybe I am a little biased myself. Truthfully, I am sick to bloody death of the glam rock/club pop combo meal that has been spoonfed to the masses. I like glam rock in certain doses and also club pop in certain doses, but when that is all I hear, it drives me crazy. The fans of the “glam rock/club pop” combo meal that surround me whenever I go to the various hipster nights around town also drive me nuts. Some of these individuals are also those that SHOULD NOT be gyrating around Chop Suey in tight-fitting 80s-high-school-throwback gym short shorts, armpit-stained white t’s and fuzzy wristbands. God, I hate that look. Anyway, I digress.
I love the new Goldfrapp. I’m happy to see them back again. Give Seventh Tree a chance, you might be pleasantly surprised.
3 Comments
The Sonic Youth Syndrome always gives me a chuckle. In any case, I would have to agree that too much love was heaped atop anything Goldfrapp did post-Felt Mountain. In a perfect world, people would appreciate the debut for the amazing effort it is.
As an aside, my interest in Goldfrapp began when I heard her doing guest vocals on Orbital records around ten years ago or so, and I find it amusing that all of the “fans” bemoaning her not so hasty exit from the garishly overworked glam/electronic angle probably didn’t know how far back and in what creative soil her roots really are. I think after listening to “Otono”, perhaps some of those scenester numbskulls might see the error of their self-righteous blathering.
Or not.
My first exposure to her was on Orbital’s Snivilisation, so yeah, I am totally there with you.
I personally don’t think those “scenester numbnuts” will get it even after it’s explained to them 15 million times.
To correct my comment, I didn’t mean “Otono”, I meant “Nothing Left” parts 1 and 2. Thanks to Isolationist for the correction.