Back in the late thirties, the band leader Glenn Miller came up with a new sound that was the mix of wood winds and horns, particularly a lead clarinet back by multiple saxophones playing in harmony. Add trombone ( Miller's instrument) and trumpets, and you have the signature Glenn Millar sound. On the rare occasions they stepped away from that mix, it didn't sound like them so much.
Goldfrapp is a similar concept. A signature sound of Synths backed with strings, with Alison's Lyric Soprano floating over the top. The sound can be slow and sultry, like on Tales of Us, or fat, like on You Never Know or more driving but, when that mix is missing, the sound is not quite the same. That is what I think is missing from Silver Eye. It's Goldfrapp, but not quite as we know it.

I am still loving it, and anticipate it having staying power with me.

Jaxsbudgie said:

I'm just going to elbow my way into this thread and say I actually quite like the album (remember on the old forum when I hated everything that wasn't Felt Mountain haha). Obviously a few songs pass me by... Anymore being one. But there are a few that are really nice. Not sure how long it'll last, I've stopped listening to it as often as I previously was. 

You know, at first Anymore seemed to lack a certain energy to me. Now I like the slower pacing. It's relaxed and sexy sounding, not as pounding..but still gets the message across nicely. I'm still exploring it to be honest..I didn't want to overdo it and burn myself out on it. Like I said earlier, it's a grower.

ryanraymedina said:

Sigh, my honeymoon phase with the album has definitely passed, and all of my extreme/obsessed/fanboy excitement has fizzled out. As I feared (my initial gut reaction to the album was correct), the album doesn't have the longevity for me. I can't play it over and over like previous albums, nor do I care to even try. In fact, I haven't played it in weeks :( . And like most of us on here, I'm a diehard fan since their first album... so this is the first time I've encountered this with a Goldfrapp album, so it's really unexpected :/

Same here too, honeymoon phase most definitely over, infact I sold on my copy of the vinyl I was that disappointed with it. I like Anymore and Ocean but the rest all sound the same to me slow and going nowhere. Such a shame as I had high hopes for this album. Maybe the next one will be a return to form?

Gaelen said:

peterofbrill said:

ryanraymedina said:

Such a shame as I had high hopes for this album. Maybe the next one will be a return to form?

Can't imagine how sick artists must get of reading/hearing that at the drop of each new album, especially in the case of our eclectic Goldfrapp duo who arguably are absent of form.  When you say form, do you mean where they began with Felt Mountain?  Do you meant their electronic roots with Black Cherry/Supernature?  Do you mean the successful acoustics of Seventh Tree?

Perhaps you mean your satisfaction on what they deliver, at which point it's not their issue anymore - as it's yours.

It's very difficult to please everyone, all of the time...

Yup, I hate that phrase too, even when it's attempted to be used as praise. I have my issues with this album but I don't want to use language that would be disheartening to the artist.

You know, I've followed a lot of bands during my time. I only continue to follow the ones that make an impression, (duh, obviously) and those bands, when on form are fantastic, sublime, insightful etc. But, you know what, I can't name one where every album, every song, hits those heights. That would be impossible. All bands have albums that are a bit, well Meh, and most albums have tracks that are not as strong as others. That's ALL bands, be it the Beatles, The Stones, U2 ( particularly U2) and Goldfrapp are no different. But, the one thing all these bands have to their die hard fans compared to other bands is best summed up with the lyrics from Open Your Heart from the Human League.

And when it hurts you know they love to tell you
How they warned you
They say "Don't be surprised at someone's lies"
They think they taunt you
But if you can stand the test
You know your worst is better than their best

Remember an earlier post on this subject comparing music to works of art? Silver Eye is the latest Goldfrapp exhibition, Anymore, Ocean and the rest the paintings on the wall. All are segments of the overall Goldfrapp canon and I suspect other exhibitions will come soon.

Urban_Tribesman said:

But, you know what, I can't name one where every album, every song, hits those heights. That would be impossible. All bands have albums that are a bit, well Meh, and most albums have tracks that are not as strong as others. That's ALL bands...

Except Cocteau Twins and Kate Bush.

And Blondie before 2000.

I feel like @Low said it best "The songs are solid but are missing that Goldfrapp 'oomph' for me"... I've said the exact same thing to my friends about this era. Even Goldfrapp's "quieter" eras like Tales of Us, ironically had more "oomph." I also make it a point of trying to be extra aware of my fanaticism of Goldfrapp and keep myself in check (as we all should ;) ) *side-eyes defensive DIEHARD Gaga fans, Beyonce fans, and the likes of, who think they can do no wrong* lol. I try to be as unbiased and objective as possible. When talking to a close friend about this, he said "If your idols never disappoint, you're not worshipping them correctly," which really resonated with me. All that being said, this is also along the same lines as what @Urban_Tribesman... "I can't name one [artist] where every album, every song, hits those heights."