Goldfrapp – Head First

If anyone foolishly decides to make a sequel to Xanadu, the 1980 roller-skating fantasy, Goldfrapp already have the soundtrack for the imaginary film finished. Head First, Goldfrapp's blissful follow-up to 2008's much darker Seventh Tree, is colored by glittering hues and bright, pastel-colored beats, and while the album is entirely vacuous at it's fabricated heart, it still makes for a relentlessly uplifting listen. Just as long as you aren't looking for songs filled with deeply profound insight, you won't be disappointed, unless you long for the moodiness and mystery of Goldfrapp's erstwhile output. But if you just agree to climb aboard Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory's self-styled 'Rocket' and ride along with them to their decidedly retro, synth-pop party, your hands are bound to be in the air at some point while your head will be floating amongst the clouds (mirroring Alison's on the album cover). Head First is a festive album, to be sure, but it doesn't stand up against a lot of intensive scrutiny. It's a light, airy record that is ushering in the fresh breezes of spring not reinventing the wheel. As long as you take it as such, you're bound to get enjoyment from the supremely buoyant, 80's-charged disco grooves and overwhelming optimism found in the Giorgio Moroder-laden melodies. Dig a bit deeper, however, and Goldfrapp's often silly lyrics make Alison sound more like a frustrated student than a musical trendsetter.The albums first single 'Rocket' takes us immediately back to the aerosol-era of the mid-80's, and other than adding some modern flourishes, primarily leaves us there throughout the brief album to bask (or tremble) at the nostalgic sights and sounds the London duo conjures up. While pop sorties are hardly anything new for Goldfrapp, what troubles me about the record is the utter lack of mood, ominous or otherwise, layered within either the music or Alison's vocals; for while their songs have always had a bounce and energy to them, within those dance tracks has always lurked a darker side that, when explored, leads you down a decidedly different path than the sunnier top layer of the song suggests. On Head First it's all gloss and bubblegum, and even when Goldfrapp hints at a kiss-off or something murkier than straight-up euphoria, the weightless nature of the songs prevent you from grasping any meaning deeper than pleasure or yearning.The overt influences and similarities to other artists is also rather troubling, whether it's the hint of Van Halen's 'Jump' on 'Rocket,' the lyrical cadence of Billy Joel's 'It's All Rock and Roll To Me' on 'Alive,' or the unfortunate influence of Starship's 'Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now' on the coda to the title track. As a listener, I've grown accustomed to Goldfrapp setting the pace, musically, not following trends or rehashing styles, and to hear them so blatantly replicating a form or fashion is a bit disheartening. The added production assistance from Pascal Gabriel or Richard X on various tracks only serves to muddy up the structure of the songs instead of clarifying their vision, proving the 'one too many cooks' maxim true. That's not to say that the whole album is without merit, though; the electro-clash-ELO soar of 'Dreaming,' the hypnotic thump of 'Hunt,' or the slinky, Kills-like strut of 'Shiny And Warm' all float by serenely and effortlessly. But it ultimately adds up to a fleeting trifle that just rings a bit hollow, and, like a steady diet of candy, it leaves you with your teeth and tummy aching for something more substantial.