Album Review: Goldfrapp - Tales Of Us

Those approaching Goldfrapp's sixth record anticipating a comeback of the sex-drenched throb of albums Black Cherry or Supernature, or the outright dance of Head First, should probably go elsewhere. However, the fans of the English duo's stunning debut Felt Mountain or even arguably their finest album Seventh Tree should come on in and marvel at the Goldfrapp that many fell in love with in the first place, the dream-pop merchants, if you will, that influenced the likes of Bat For Lashes and beyond.

Tales Of Us brings back the uber-chilled vibe of old. Lush strings, funeral-paced arrangements and Vangelis-esque, barely-there percussion are all present, but all provide only the backdrop of sorts for Alison Goldfrapp's sublime vocal. Here she seems fuelled simultaneously with desire and regret, while her lyrical themes are often left of centre. On Annabel, for example, she sings of a girl trapped inside a boy's body while Simone seems to be about finding her daughter in bed with her lover.

Goldfrapp's new jam is far from a jam, instead it is that triumphant return to the ethereal beauty of old. Abound with orchestral manoeuvres and void of anything remotely “radio”, Tales Of Us certainly isn't a record to be split up and begs to be heard as a whole. In its entirety, it plays out beautifully with a majestic and cinematic aesthetic that beckons more. Goldfrapp truly are the musical gift that just keeps on giving.