Seventh Tree

Goldfrapp is a name I've heard for years. I knew she was the chick who sounded suspiciously like Bjork on Tricky's song Pumpkin...and then when the Felt Mountain album came out - everyone told me I "had to hear it".
It was one of those albums that always slipped by me.
I always MEANT to pick it up - all the amazing word-of-mouth recommendations, the countless references to the album - I was pumped about it, don't get me wrong...yet somehow, I just never got around to it.
Then Allison Goldfrapp released the Black Cherry album, and folks were saying this one was even better than the last.
I heard a few songs. High energy alterna-electro.
Beautiful, yes. Catchy - absolutely.
Cheesey - not a single bit.
Mind blowing? Well...I can see it - but it wasn't exactly my cup of tea.
Next came Supernature.
Same deal - I was sure this album was going to make her a star - a Club Diva with critical acclaim and indie-cred to back her up.
It was what dance music SHOULD sound like...but at the same time...not exactly my scene.
It was good, totally good and I would pick it over many others - it probably even made my top 15 of that year...but it was just a bit...bubble gum.
But good bubble gum.
Not the kind you wanna spit out after the first bubble pops, know what I mean?
Still..
Fast forward to last Tuesday.
So she JUST released her "Seventh Tree" album and Life Partner picked it up.
This afternoon I gave it a listen...
um...wow.
I expected insane bpms and the typical almost over-produced vocal effects / electro-sex I had come to expect...and instead...got something that sounded a little like Joni Mitchell.
The first song Clowns. Gorgeous. I raised an eyebrow instantly...something was different here.
It wasn't cold hardwired noise.
This felt nostaligic. Thoughtful.
Amazing guitars and so, so soft.
And get this: The song is about TITTIES! And she even SAYS titties in it!!
"Titties that live on and on and on...only clowns would play with balloons like that! Why'd you wanna look like barbie for?"
Ridiculous, I know...but let me tell you - it says something about someone as an artist to pull off lyrics like that and still sound incredible and poetic and bang-on serious.
A&E (accidnets emergency) is one of the most heart-breaking stories I've ever listened to...and Caravan Girl, with the PERFECT pulse of electro hugged by these gorgeous acoustic clips...it's one of those sit back with your mouth open type songs as you wonder how anyone could craft such a perfect brand of pop.
The influences range from Tori Amos, Joni Mitchell, as I mentioned, KD Lang, CocoRosie, Bjork - maybe even a little Imogen Heap.
It's a short, simple record - it doesn't take itself too seriously - and this shines through. It's an easy listen, a fantastic "house cleaning at 1 o'clock in the afternoon" type of album, a "just having people over and need good ambience" record -but at the same time - it can EASILY be a VERY deep "holy shit i'm drunk on wine and how the hell is this chick reading my thoughts - (you know what I'm talking about)" collection of introspective alternative pop.
The final track: Monster Love - is perhaps the most perfect closer to ANY album I've heard in ages. It has such a feeling of "full circle" - you immediately want to hit "repeat" and play the whole CD again, immediately after it ends.
Seventh Tree by Goldfrapp is CERTAINLY making me take a step back to examine her entire body of work.
What I mistook for creative but perhaps "predictible" over-synthed pop before, Seventh Tree just might make me see it all in a different light.
Or perhaps...Seventh Tree is the awakening of a VERY serious song-writing force fused with a keen ear for spot-on production.
From indie-snobs to pop heads - this album's got something for everyone...except rather than focus on the ass-shaking vibe her last few efforts showcased - this one seems to be more about stellar song-crafting.
And it turns out - she's pretty damn good at it.