Goldfrapp - Tales of Us

There was a worrying brief time at the start of 2012 where it looked like the end may have been nigh for Goldfrapp. The standard brief for pop acts on their swansong is to put out a greatest hits and a couple of new tracks, and one of those for Goldfrapp was the sunny, optimistic Yellow Halo, complete with live-cuts of Alison Goldfrapp shouting "you've been amazing!" and "thank you so much!" Well, I was worried, okay?

You see, everyone can find at least one type of Goldfrapp that they love. Their career has now spanned more than a decade and each album seems to come with an entirely new theme and set of genres. The preamble up to this album might have built Tales of Us up to be another in the same vein as Seventh Tree or Felt Mountain (as opposed to the eurodance-heavy Head First or steely, slick electronica of Supernature) but, rather than a trip hop or orchestral pre-Florence record, we find the band reeling in the music and making the most of their lyrics and Alison's* voice.

After a blinding and rinsing opening synth, 'Jo' settles down with a minimalist two-note melody, which, when met with the vocals, feels more than a little reminiscent of Kate Bush's 50 Words for Snow work. Which is obviously an excellent niche. Harsh, brushing strings puncture its tranquility, though, and the lyrics give it a menacing feel ("hanging there behind the trees/ a blood-red moon is watching ... you've gotta run for your life"). 'Annabel' is then given a poignant and powerful music video depicting a transgender child - or perhaps a smaller message that glittery dresses bring colour to life and are all that matters (and why the hell not?) - and musically, it's a hushed yet empowering affair. "You are the truth they denied", she reassures, before a troubling mockery of the song characters' taunters rounds it off ("only a boy under that/ only a boy"). 'Drew' is a little more classic in its theatricality and arrangements, giving Goldfrapp the impression of a sultry Frenchwoman in a smoky bar-room.

She's stretched a little more on 'Ulla', harmonising with herself. But its real status as the highlight of the album (for me) is down to its violins. It's difficult not to get lost in Goldfrapp's world, where "sailors sail on all night and day". Again, on 'Alvar', her voice is put to more sinister effect, with a weird, warped distortion making her part of a rather blinding, scorching experience. By 'Thea' we've even got something of a beat going, where "blunt uneasy stares" and "wild in your eyes" rather shatter the serenity that led up to this point. Will Gregory's touch with the rhythm and flares make it an obvious stand-out track.

A few of the songs fall into the less exciting 'sensual' category which, given the back catalogue of Goldfrapp, isn't entirely something I needed more of, so therefore 'Simone', with its reassuringly pleasant "I gave to you the world/ my world is you"s, rather drifts by. 'Stranger', too, verges on the Bond theme line of obviousness, with its pulsing synth and whistled melodies, but it's much more serene. Far and away the darkest-sounding song, 'Laurel' seems to descriibe a murderer with "red, red hair"; Goldfrapp's voice is noticeably deeper, and sticks to one note a lot of the time. Much of Tales of Us seems to have been crafted with the intention of 'Clay' being the show-stopping moment, and as the album's closer, it's a stellar choice. Telling the tale of two active soldiers in love, it's a beautiful story ("we wanted only to love") and ends with a warming "my only love - sleep well, goodnight".

It's an enjoyable new page in the book of Goldfrapp, but it does rather leave you yearning for something a little more upbeat. Not necessarily the disco-pop of 2010's Rocket, but these arrangements make Lovely Head seem charged. Tales of Us feels less like an album of one strong theme, and more like a slightly pretentious art show you might enjoy watching one night. Just the once. I can't detract from its quality, though, and it's a little disparaging that emotional connection with music is rather overlooked by the likes of Pitchfork in favour of what's the flavour of the month.

Rating: 7.5/10
Highlights: Ulla; Thea; Drew; Clay; Jo
Avoid: n/a

Artwork Watch: Dogging chic?
Up next: The 1975  

*can I just take this opportunity to say that this review has been very difficult to write when you have to use forenames to identify bandmembers, let alone the most identifiable one.