Goldfrapp

While it’s a decidedly more subdued affair than the hooky, bombastic sensuality of predecessorSupernature, Seventh Tree is still a study in sonic complexity. There are small but masterful production details, such as the static and crackles on "Eat Yourself,” which make it seem as though you’re listening to the song on a dusty old Victrola. Unfortunately, while the arrangements are imaginative, the production dense and layered and Alison Goldfrapp’s vocals beyond sublime, the songwriting disappoints. With few exceptions (the Air-inspired "Cologne Cerrone Houdini” and the sexy cabaret vibe of "Happiness”), Seventh Tree’s songs are sleepy and forgettable. Even first single "A&E” comes across as a vapid pop ballad that might have been released by Jennifer Rush in the late ’80s. As the bizarre old saying goes, "you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.” Despite their best attempts at gussying up lacklustre songwriting with fancy pants machinery, Seventh Tree falls flat.