Goldfrapp - Seventh Tree (2008)

Goldfrapp - Seventh Tree (2008)

Seventh Tree album review, short version:

Some of these songs are reeeeeeeaal pretty. The others, kinda plain.

Seventh Tree album review, longer version:

Read any pre-release material for this album, and you might've been convinced that it was more of a folk record. The album cover even seems to hint at as much: a picture of Alison Goldfrapp standing in the plains with the dawn sun rising in the background and her wearing a simple white dress (for the sake of convenience, lets ignore the funky pirate hat). It's a fairly stark contrast from, say, Supernature. But once you get past the first song, the excellent "Clowns", the realization becomes pretty clear: this ain't no damn folk record. What it is, though, is a more subdued album in comparison to her last two releases electro-dance pop feel. The songs here compare more closely to the work on her first album. Seventh Tree is more organic, yes, but it isn't exactly folk. Folky at times, perhaps, but not pure folk.

Having established that, there are a few genuinely good songs on this album that achieve a stunning downtempo beauty. Songs like "Some People", "Eat Yourself", and the aforementioned "Clowns" can be a real joy to listen to. The only problem is that they are sandwiched in between a handful of songs that are similar yet nowhere near as striking. They're nice enough, not terrible or annoying, but suffer from being completely forgettable; almost impressive in their unimpressiveness. Which is why this album can best be described as "hit and miss". Even two of the albums' singles, the significantly more poppy "Happiness" and "Caravan Girl", live by that formula, with the former song being the "hit" and the latter failing to make an impression.

Overall, though, this is worth keeping around for a chillout listen every now and then. Just don't expect to be blown away or anything.


Score: 6/10


"Clowns"


"Eat Yourself"