Goldfrapp have lost their ability to shock; we all knew that this record would be a return to synths, because rapid about-faces in style is just what Goldfrapp do. Good job, then, that this actually has an awful lot in common with Seventh Tree; the songwriting and mood is almost identical, it's just dressed up in sparklier clothes. It looks like Alison has found her niche across these two albums with this brand of plaintive, resigned melancholy - "Shiny and Warm" is the only single weak moment across the two albums, which is an incredible turnaround from their first three deeply inconsistent records. It's not as good as Seventh Tree, but there's no shame in that; it's still a cut above their first three albums, and it's still liable to trouble many a year-end list.
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