Goldfrapp - Felt Mountain
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CD Details
Artist: GoldfrappEdition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 2000-09-19
Music Label: Mute U.S.
Soundtracks:
- Lovely Head
- Paper Bag
- Human
- Pilots
- Deer Stop
- Felt Mountain
- Oompa Radar
- Utopia
- Horse Tears
Music reviews of Felt Mountain
Music Review: Crawl Into The Utopian Wilderness
Rating: 5 Stars
In the past year Goldfrapp have fast become one of my favourite bands. I purchased their second album "Black Cherry" is late 2003 extremely cheap in a Christmas sale and was amazed at the sounds. The band were not very well known at that point in the UK but had begun to build a rabid fanbase. Then in August 2005 the band returned with their stunning third album "Supernature," which peaked at No.2 in the UK album charts. It was with this album that I completely fell head over heels for Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory. I made a promise to myself that I'd buy their debut album "Felt Mountain," and this Christmas just gone, that's exactly what I did! At first I didn't know what to think, because the songs on here are considerably less commercial than the band's latest output, but with repeated listens I've grown to love almost every song here.
The music on this album is very open and bizarre, reflected in the beautifully scenic artwork of the back of the compact disc case, the inlay booklet and the actual CD itself. There's only nine songs on the whole album but they all merge into each other wonderfully. I have to say that if there's a main sound, a particular sonic staple of the album, it's the whistle on the opening track which is replicated in a number of other songs under slightly different guises.
"Lovely Head" is the album's first song, and it's easily one of the band's finest songs ever. It's also the most famous song on the album, and as soon as it opening I instantly knew that I'd heard the haunting whistle melody somewhere before. It's been used in a commercial on British television some years back, but I can't remember what for. That shows how powerful this piece of music is, when you can remember it and not the actual advert. The lyrics are strange and Alison's vocal delivery is incredibly smouldering. The whistle is the centrepiece of this song and comes in again and again and makes you feel like you're stood on top of a mountain where you can see for miles and miles. "Paper Bag" is a good song, but actually one of my least favourites on the album. It opens with a beautiful string section, and even though the opening line is coarse and somewhat spoils the intro, it's a well-crafted song. "Human" opens with high-pitched, screeching strings that are almost unbearable. The arrangement is beautiful, however, and the bubbling beat that is scattered sparsely across the arrangement is like bumps in the dark dead of night. Alison's vocal delivery is beautiful and sexy, as she wails, "Are you human, or a dud?"
"Pilots" is one of the best songs on the album, because it has more of that beautiful string work that sounds like whistling. I have an image of an aeroplane flying smoothly through the air in almost complete silence against a sunset background whenever I hear this song. It's very peaceful and Alison's vocals sway like a lullaby. The string arrangement comes in for each chorus and just seems to open the song up fully to its maximum proportions. "Deer Stop" is one of the album's most bizarre songs. It's incredibly dense and deep, like a wander through a forest in the dead of night. Alison's vocals are muffled and indecipherable which I think works very well. It's a song to curl up and fall asleep to because she sounds so close that you could almost feel her breath on your neck. "Felt Mountain," the album's title track, is one of the best tracks here. It opens with Alison yodelling in spectacular fashion, her high-pitched vocals ascending through the heavens. The beat is steady and trots along in a sultry fashion, with a whip cracking every so often. The vocal stylings are beautiful and incredibly harmonious, becoming all the more alluring as unusual sounds seep in.
"Oompa Radar" is my least favourite song on the album. It's incredibly bizarre and opens with some weird purring noises that remind me of an insect off in the distance getting closer. It's actually quite scary! The song then morphs into this bizarre brass band piece that some may love, but I'm not too keen on. "Utopia" thankfully restores things by being one of the band's best ever songs. There's beautiful yodelling in the background, accompanied by a steady beat and funky percussion, and of course that expansive string section. It's like all the best elements from some of the previous songs all blended in one to create a sonic wonderland. I can only marvel at the chorus arrangement. The album closes with "Horse Tears," the longest song on the album at just over five minutes. This song boasts an array of instruments from the viola, strings, violin, double bass and cello. The vocal arrangement is gorgeous because it's so bizarre and evocative. I feel transported to another dimension whenever I hear this song, it's just so beautiful and sad at the same time.
OVERALL GRADE: 10/10
Goldfrapp arguably crafted a masterpiece with their debut album. Even though it didn't do to well on the charts, it's managed to sell 500,000 copies worldwide to date, while their following albums have sold considerably more. They might not have made a massive dent in the UK charts, but on the underground, and on the dance/trip-hop charts they were the most talked about new act of 2000. Starting off at the start of the decade was a good time for the band, as they have been climbing and climbing in status for the past six years. By the end of the decade I bet they're even bigger than they already are now in Europe. They may not be making music like this anymore, and some have said they've sold out to commercial appeal, but I still love the band more than ever and this album is an essential addition to any true music lover's collection.
Description of Felt Mountain
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