Goldfrapp’s “Rocket” FindsWarmth in the Machine

I find myself first listening to Rocket in the nonplace of my cardriving back and forth desperate to find my cellphone.  I’m experiencing what withdrawal from thetechnological singularity feels like because I haven’t actually texted anyonethe irrelevant information that I bought an overpriced CD from Borders.  I do in fact have friends who are Goldfrappfans and need to know the new CD’s out, though they’ll probably just downloadit for free.  I’m such a traditionalist.

The overall sonic quality is irresistibly stylish and retro chicbut it never borders on a parody of 70s disco pop - the sound maintains itsrelevance and currency likely thanks to help from producer Richard X who takesan almost fanatical stance about quality-structured pop.  Let’s riff across decades for a moment for ananalogy- it’s like a Pointer Sister revival where they’re musing cougars ratherthan an ABC Prime Time pop cash-in joke.

With respect to quality control in pop music, this seems to bethe latest installment in a recent trend towards integrity.  Though electronic and synthetic in it’sinstrumentation, Alicia Key’s “Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart,” Passion Pit’s“Little Secrets,” Gorillaz’s “Stylo”, and now Goldfrapp’s whole “Rocket” albumall seem to be reaching for a sense of human dignity in the music throughemotionally evocative chord structuring. “Stylo” and “Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart” handle the sadder end ofthe spectrum, but Goldfrapp’s album opens up space for pop to be disco-funagain, specifically the title track “Rocket”. Perhaps we’re finally putting 35years of hate toward the whole disco genre on the back burner.  Considering rock and hip hop have become aneccentric joke, maybe its time to cycle around the pop lexicon for a differentdirection.

A word to the wise for the career spiraling, errr rather, I’mjust addressing Madonna.  AlisonGoldfrapp is nearly ten years younger, but twice as sensible and ages a lotmore gracefully.  Her songs, while notneglecting the excellent arranging contributions by Will Gregory, are lush,sensual, livening, with a pop.  AndAlison has never graced her album cover in absurd bondage gear sleeving analbum full of ridiculous overproduced Timbaland tracks.  Madonna, save yourself, for the your nextalbum consider an aesthetic direction similar to Goldfrapp’s previous album,“Seventh Tree.” Flirt with electronic folk and simpler pop rather than tackyclub tracks. Act like the cougar you could be, rather than that preposterousclueless ‘cool mom’ from “Mean Girls.”

Perhaps the most interesting track of the album from an artisticpoint of view is the final track, “Voicething.” In this, Goldfrapp experiments with phase shiftings and syllabic voiceintonations that function more as percussive stabs than singing.  The track, again retro, sounds pulledstraight from the New York Minimalist School of the mid to late 20thcentury.  It’s like Steve Reich andMeredith Monk worked together for a pop venture.  It’s sweet of Alison to pay homage to hermore cerebral aesthetic leanings. And it sounds beautiful.

Overall, the album is thrilling, retro-fresh, and smart. Thiscollege girl sitting down in front of me in the coffee shop in the form fittingwhite short shorts has nice light blue underwear.