"My voice has definitely changed! [...] It’s dropped! I’ve always had quite a big vocal range, but for instance, the operatic note that I hit at the beginning of ‘Utopia’, which is on my first album – I just can’t sing that operatic bit anymore unfortunately. But then I feel like my lower range feels much stronger."
Alison Goldfrapp, DazedDigital
Since their formation in 1999, London electronic duo Goldfrapp (singer/composer/keyboardist Alison Goldfrapp and lead keyboardist/producer/composer Will Gregory) have incorporated influences from glam rock, artpop, synthpop, dance, folktronica, ambient and downtempo music over seven studio albums and one compilation album. Alison has reinvented her performative persona throughout her career, ranging from the earthly bohemian woodland nymph in "A & E" to a stiletto-strutting disco vixen in "Ride a White Horse".
The complexities human connection have nevertheless been an enduring theme in Goldfrapp's long career, and it returns in a slightly different shape on "Anymore" (signalled by the new head of fiery red hair), the lead single from their upcoming seventh studio album Silver Eye. Alison's lower vocal register pulses along with the song's insistent electroclash beat, dictating a sense of militant urgency and underlying anxiety:
'You're what I wantYou're what I needGive me your loveMake me a freakI can't wait, I can't wait anymoreI can't wait, I can't wait anymoreI can't wait, I can't wait anymore'
Lyrics: Genius
The juxtaposition of Alison's sensual vocals and the hard industrial synths in the background make for a compelling listening experience, even if the song's meaning does not resonate for too long after it ends. However, the accompanying music video - which sees Alison leading a troop of androgynous dancers into the stark, volcanic landscape of Fuerteventura (the largest of the Canary Islands) for a striking dance ritual - lingers in the mind:
"I really love volcanic rock, I find it fascinating. Fuerteventura is much more palatable in terms of weather than Iceland. I love it in the same way as the desert. There’s something about that landscape that is so tantalising as it serves as an amazing backdrop. It’s like having a blank canvas that allows you to visualise colour and a narrative. I quite often visualise deserts in my head, or volcanic rock. There’s something so elemental and visceral about it".
