Goldfrapp - 'Caravan Girl'
I sometimes think I'm missing a piece when it comes to Goldfrapp, because by and large their work leaves me cold, and not in an intentional frosty ladypop sort of way - more the sort of way that involves the word "meh" an awful lot. I mean, I love 'Strict Machine' because I can't imagine anyone not loving it (I daresay someone will prove me wrong), but pretty much the entirety of 'Supernature' struck me as a lazy and uninspired retread of their previous work, which was especially disappointing coming from a group whose frontwoman is so opinionated about pop music in general.
There's a chance I'm beginning to come around, though, because what I've heard of 'Seventh Tree' sounds more like what I want them to be doing - more experimental, more ethereal. 'Caravan Girl' fits into that groove quite nicely - on the one hand, it's a pop song with a honeyed vocal and an impressive hook, but on the other, it's also distinct and eerie - especially the way the opening chords have echoes of Dvorak's 'Largo', which is a piece of music that's always spooked the hell out of me, and then segue into an uptempo piece. That sense of mystery and internal contradiction really adds to the song's atmosphere.
That said, I still feel like I'm missing the magic that would turn this from 'pleasant distraction' into a song for which I'd sit down with Kirsty Young and confidently explain why it would be accompanying me to a desert island. And now I'm wondering if that isn't the oldest, fogeyest reference ever made on ChartBlog.
Download: Out now
CD Released: June 30th
(Steve Perkins)
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