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"Head First" by Goldfrapp
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Goldfrapp has been innovating for years, and with their fifth album, “Head First,” an optimistic, upbeat  and uptempo romp, they continue to produce stellar work.  With “Head First,” they return to a more dance-based pop as compared to their fourth album, “Seventh Tree,” which had been a slower take.

Alison Goldfrapp’s vocals are sultry sweet and are paired beautifully with her and Will Gregory’s compositions.  The beats may be faster and closer to a dance base, but are very soft and subtle, allowing Goldfrapp’s vocals to be the focal point, a positive that gives the album a distinctive feel and unifies the album.

All of the music has a distinct 80s synth vibe, at times a bit minimal, but yet it still feels more complete than some other dance-pop efforts reviewed here recently, like Ke$ha or Little Boots.  Indeed, the silky smooth production gives the music a different feel altogether, even it’s in the same genre.  With this release Goldfrapp reclaims dominance in a field they’ve been a leader in for a great while.

The album clocks in short, at 9 tracks, and no one track carries on for too long. Artists have long thought they need to use as much of the 70 minutes of the disc as possible, but they keep it tight, and the result is a strong set of pop tracks that are infectious and danceable.

First single “Rocket” echoes back to an earlier time, reminding of songs performed by artists like Olivia Newton-John in the early 80s, complete with a great mid-tempo synth and electric piano beat.  Goldfrapp’s vocals are particularly infectious here, and the musical touches are divine.

I really enjoyed “Head First,” which puts a piano rhythm a little more in front, and the synths drive the beat and fill in gaps around the piano rhythm to a nice effect.  This track reminds me of so many midtempo 80s songs that I enjoyed growing up, and is a nice addition to that mix.

In the more straight-ahead dance category, “Dreaming” picks up the tempo and is closer to a straight dance track, but even here the beat is subdued.  You can certainly dance to it, but the softer beat also makes it nice listening for the car. “Believer” picks up the tempo even more, taking it out of the danceable realm and into a high-tempo pop song territory.

“Voicething” is the closest thing to a ballad, where the beat is similar in tempo to the other tracks, but it’s pushed so far back in the mix it’s almost non-existant, and the vocal layering on this track is particularly beautiful.

What is clever throughout is instead of making the beat a persistent fact of life throughout the album, as most dance releases are wont to do, the beat is pushed into a very subtle position, giving the album a different texture.

This gives Goldfrapp a unique offering in what’s been a cluttered dance-pop realm, and is a welcome return for the duo.

Tags: 2010, 37-06, LATE MARCH