Has anyone been playing Tales of Us mixed with other music? I am guilty of such and it actually works well enough for me, although I do maintain it's a genuine album album, I don't just play albums though.

I don't think Tales Of Us is an unique album, but it is uniquely sounding like Goldfrapp. For me it is a perfect blend of Felt Mountain and Seventh Tree. I love Goldfrapp's cinematic and accoustic sound, far more than their pop sound.

I would not be surprised if people whom dislike it now, or whom are underwhelmed by it, will love it in a few years. A lot can happen in order for people to change their minds. It's good to re-evaluate things, partly because we change as well, and so do our circumstances. There are albums I were deeply disappointed by that I like/love now, but the change only occured years later. I simply wasn't ready at the time. As an example, I'm slowly coming round to Head First. It is still my least favourite Goldfrapp album, but where I simply couldn't even stand hearing it, I've actually been listening to it all the way through over the past few months. Will it become an all time favourite? No. But I'm not so anti- Head First as I used to be in the past.

Of course, the opposite is true as well. I have falken out of love with albums I absolutely adored. Let's hope Tales If Us won't be one.

Voices age. It happens. 

Joey said:

Voices age. It happens. 

Personally, I think she sounds like she's in great voice on this album. Sure, she's not wailing or belting a huge vocal over most of these songs, but that's simply because that approach wouldn't stylistically fit the hushed, contemplative sound of the album.

I agree with this. Voices do age and sometimes it is harder to hit the high notes when you are older. Kate Bush is a good example of a singer whose voice has aged. She is unable to reach the notes she used to, even in the 90s. Joni Mitchell is another singer whose voiced changed over the decades. Compare her debut album and Blue for example with her last few albums.

I also think the songs on this album doesn't require vocal theatrics. If there is one problem I have with her delivery on the album (and it is a minor gripe), it is that there are just a few too many breathy, airy, hushy moments. It makes quite a bit of it sound just a tad too delicate, where the mood is intimate actually.

I'm actually not a massive Bowie fan, but he is one of the greats and it's such a good comparison for Frapp. He blended musical styles and changed his direction to suit the times but he got to a point at Let's Dance where either it didn't work or we didn't get it. Maybe to many styles. Over the years he released albums that the critics loved and said, 'he's back on form', 'his best in years' etc.. but looking back no one other than die hard Bowie fans remember them. I don't think he gained many new fans from that period either. Even the new one will not be up there with the greats. Although as it is almost a homage to his great Berlin period he may lead some new fans to his back catalogue.

Maybe it's just my age :-) combined with a desire for new music. I'm 44 and have been obsessed by music for 20+ years, 13 with Goldfrapp. I cross reference everything from those 20 years. 13 years is a long time in my adult life, Bands i was obsessed with at 16 now seem irelevant apart from nostalgia. But i like it that way. I don't want to be an old guy clinging to old bands. I want to be liking new cool bands in my 90's. :)

Also a 20 year old will be able to look back on Bowie and digest it as a body out of context. We can't. In the same way a 55 year old will remember more context than me. I entered Bowie at Ashes To Ashes.

So maybe Goldfrapp are at the period where they just please their fans from now on (they have plenty). If i were Ali and Will i'd be doing what i want now not what the public wants. Someone mentioned Ali was upset by poor reviews via Twitter. Seems a bit silly as they have nothing to prove. If they don't know when something is good at this stage in their career it might get messy in later years. F88k everyone else. They like it, most fans like it. Does it really matter if Pitchfork ...and La Catalina  ;) don't. No.

Also with ref to John Barry you might be all getting me wrong. It is a compliment to Will it sounds so like JB (he was a master of his art). Plus i love stuff that sounds like JB. I love TOU because I like JB and I like Goldfrapp. But I like Black Cherry because I like Goldfrapp, it's influences were more hidden or blended. On TOU it is mostly very honest and literal in it's influences, almost a homage (bar Thea and a few other bits). I think that is exactly what Al and Will wanted ...and they got it spot on. As usual they always get is sonically spot on. It's just for me I already have some great JB to listen to. I would of got more excited by some JB with a twist. But it doesn't mean TOU is not a great album.

I work with a 20 year old animator that loves Hans Zimmer and Danny Elfman soundtracks and he just thought John Barry did a few bond tunes. He was shocked when he realised what he had done and how good it was. So for them TOU and it's links to JB could be like an amazing discovery and be a turning point in their musical lives.

@la_catalina Hey there, R. Genuinely good (and equally surprising!) to see you here. Even if you're just passing through it's a pleasure.

I think it's genuinely different trying try explain why something doesn't work for you than to explain why it does. Not sure which is harder to do well. Actually, explaining why parts of something taint something you still like is even harder so well handled, tatty.

For me, it was just the sort of thing I wanted right now but that's as much to do with my headspace of recent times colliding with what they put out. Between losing/finding work, seeing the contents of my head colouring concrete (realising you're more Halber Mensch than Übermensch colours life somewhat) and a few more years on the clock I wanted something I could wrap myself in and this does that very well.

I'm lucky in that some of things a couple of people including yourself have mentioned as the things that put you off are equally working for me. No rhyme nor reason.

I know it won't supplant the space that FM occupies - what would - but I guess I'm ok with that. There's something about any bands first album that is near impossible to capture again if they get it right from the off and they certainly did with that.

I can see your JB reasonings too, tatty, and you explain them very well. If subconsciously you're thinking "I'd love to make an album that has the same effect as....." then it's always going to steer closer to it rather than running parallel. Also, a great point of yours to do with the relative nature of context, age & bodies of work. Utterly unavoidable and something I'd never thought of before.

I'm possibly far too invested in the album right now to give a proper review. I know I really like it a lot and I know it's earworming me from various angles a stupid amount. It also definitely feels like it was meant, and works far better, as an album rather than a collection of individual tracks. You know, like us fogeys used to have to enjoy back in the day :))

Going back to your mention of Head First, La_Catalina, I think that the one thing that killed it for me was that it did (and does for me still) feel like two EP's jammed together with the wrong type of glue - a Goldfrapp one and a Scissor Sisters one. That's where TOU succeeds - things fit together.

Far too early yet to decide where this sits in the grand scheme of things but at this second it's doing the job. It's a particularly good start.

stevil said:

ugh why placate the obvious return to assassinate.......really come on carpy

Easy, tiger! I only said it was a pleasure (and surprise) to see her and it is on both counts, especially the latter.

The rest was as much directed to Tatty really - I do like his posting. I understand a lot of his point of view on music and enjoy reading his stuff. Not sure if it's a style thing or an age thing ;)  :))

I've said the HF bit many times before and can't see any reason at all to put it anywhere near TOU. Whatever the relative intents at the time I know which of the two will still be getting very few complete plays and it's not TOU.