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Electric Youth - Innerworld

After leaving a mark on the Ryan Gosling-starring neon camp masterpiece “Drive” and unintentionally spawning countless ‘human bean’ memes with ‘A Real Hero’, the Canadian synthpop outfit Electric Youth is back with their first full length debut, and a lipstick smeared, nostalgia powered and sumptuous one at that.

A pair of Eighties babies and childhood sweetheart, Electric Youth band members Austin Garrick and Bronwyn Griffin have been a united front for almost 18 years. ‘Innerworld’, the loving homage to the bygone era of camp, is a retrospection to their journey together, condensed in 10 tracks and 3 interludes. This lend the album a personal sense of belonging, a warmth that is severely lacking in the current revivalist trend.

Bookended by the instrumental graces of the sunrise-through-the-blinds sweetness of ‘Before Life’ and the parting kiss of ‘Outro’, all the songs inbetween bear the same Italo Disco opulence that Goldfrapp channeled in their own ‘Head First’. ‘Runaway’ recounts a story of young lovers on the run, rollerskating their way downtown, with winds in their hair and hands in the air, running from adults who don’t understand. ‘Maybe we could just run away / Leave this place for good / Cos we're both misunderstood.’

‘WeAreTheYouth’ sees a continuation of the youthful exuberance that dominates much of the record, with Bronwyn’s breezy and silky-smooth vocals sailing over a canvas of arpeggiated synth riffs and chugging basslines à la Shannon's ‘Let the Music Play’ from Austin himself. The tune recalls the wide-eyed optimism and boundless idealism of adolescence that we all share before the inevitability that is adulthood and worries about our fragile mortality. Lilting, bold and saccharine sweet, it’s one of the cheesier moments of the whole gang, but damned if it doesn’t make for an exquisite soundtrack for a gratuitous driving off to the sunset scene in some so-bad-it’s-bitch’n 80s movie.

The dreamy synth soundscapes carried on for another 20 seconds, before mellowing out and undulating in the musings of ‘Innocence’ lost. Obscured by a haze of nostalgia, the breathy tune glides over a skyline of staccato riffs before fading out, much like a dreamer shot down by the cruel reality. 

The reverie is quickly shaken off with the pouting ditty ‘Without You’. A stylistic ‘screw you’ from a jilted lover, the song takes on a darker, edgier bassline that injects a wee bit more danceability to the mix. ‘You’ll never find another who will love you like me, you’ll never find another who will truly care!’. The best dig at a cheating ex since Goldfrapp’s ‘Rocket’, albeit lighter on the vitriol and without the homicidal ideation.

The interlude ‘She’s Sleeping’ winds down the drama and paves the way for the trump card of the whole record. ‘A True Hero’, the loving tribute to Chesley Sullenberger and one of the most iconic credit song ever, is of epic proportions despite the simplicity in its composition. Romantic, unembellished and organic, as it fades from the rearview mirror, the immense sense of satisfaction is all that left, much like when Ryan finally blinks, drives off into the night, and the credit rolls.

Awash with waves after waves of synths and concussive, delayed drum machine, the album still houses in itself a otherworldly sense of connection that could only be fostered by decades-long friendships and love. Innerworld might not appeal to everyone out there, but those who understand the idea behind it will experience one of the best pieces of sonic heaven that the new new wave era has to offer.

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Two decades of golden pop decadence (2007-2017)

After the glitterball glamour of Supernature, the duo made another unexpected turn at the musical junction.

Seventh Tree (2007)

Taking a break from the superstardom that Supernature launched the duo to, 2007 saw the return of a Goldfrapp with warmth and etherealness in place of their usual aloofness and icy frosted soundscapes in the form of Seventh Tree - a collection of songs that the more pedestrian publications would call “bucolic” and “pastoral”.

The whole album is obscured by a veil of mysticism from start to end, with abstract, fragmented imageries and muffled vocal being the basis for almost every song. “Clown” is a queer ode that concerns, well, tits. Fake tits, to be exact, and Alison’s disgust towards them after one too many episode of British reality TV. “Happiness” is a marching anthem about throwing all of your money to a cult to alleviate your heartbreak. “A&E” stands out, carries a dissonance between the upbeat folk sound and the lyrics - a girl waking up in the Accident Emergency after overdosing to get her ex’s attention.

A favourite of many fans, this album is one of the more radical renovations of sound in Goldfrapp’s catalogue.

Head First (2010)

More of a missstep and executive meddling than anything, Goldfrapp’s rushed throwback to the campy 80s “Head First” is still an enjoyable little album in its own right.

“Rocket” is the epitome of catchiness, with bouncy synth lines that shimmer and sparkle. The song bears the trademark vitriol that Alison usually display in her writing, serving as a send off (literally) to a certain cheating ex: “I got a rocket/you’re going on it/you’re never coming back”. “Believer”, an estatic ode of devotion, repeats the line “I’m a believer in you now” many times without ever slowing down. As to keep the avant - garde spirit alive, the closing tune is a string of colorful staccato that displays Alison’s monstrous vocal as its finest, more than enough to make the negative reviews all the more bollocks.

Tales Of Us (2013)

A true return to form of the duo, Tales Of Us is Felt Mountain without the wails and Seventh Tree without the clown outfit.

The album’s tone is personal and intimate, like a series of soft whispers traded between acquaintances and lovers, which is only apt considering 9 out of 10 songs are names of people with tales to tell.

“Jo” opens the album with sparse, cinematic piano thumping and Alison’s vocal that flits between loneliness and fear. “Drew” is the most orchestral piece in the album, which swells to impossible heights.

The drama starts with “Thea” and “Simone”, the former being a storming electronic track and the latter being a disturbing tale of a daughter who beds her mother’s lover.

The album closes with “Clay”, an epic retelling of a letter from a man to his fellow soldier and lover. The track reaches the emotional climax of the whole album, trots and flows with equal part tragic and epic.

Silver Eye (2017)

A magnum opus. A moon song. An ode to the primitive and the artificial. Silver Eye is all that and much, much more. 

Silver Eye celebrates the collision of the two seemingly mutually-exclusive columns of idea that constituted much of Goldfrapp’s body of work: the primordial, mythical, untamed nature against technology, artificiality and the mortal’s touch.

‘Anymore’ and ‘Systemagic’ start the album sounding like something that came straight out of a dj’s wet dream: powerful, pulsing and absolutely ecstatic. ‘Tigerman’ depicts a certain primeval, unreachable figure that seems to bear the whole cosmic body.

‘Faux Suede Drifter’, ‘Zodiac Black’ and ‘Beast That Never Was’ almost overlap with each other, much like waves after waves of tide under the moonlit night. 

While there’s nothing in this album that could quite measure up to the cinematic grandeur of Felt Mountain, ‘Moon In Your Mouth’ comes very close, being the moment when mysticism and emotions of the album reach their impossible heights.

‘Ocean’ closes the album with a violent rush of synth that wouldn’t feel out of place in a Blade Runner sequel. Dark, mysterious, sinister and seductive, the piece summarizes the spirit of the album brilliantly, leaving the listener wondering how will the duo create an antithesis for this sumptuous body of work in their next release like they’ve always done before. But knowing Alison and Will, they’ll probably come up with something and get all the praises for it real soon.

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Amy Macdonald - the flower of Scotland

In a recent fond raconteuring of one of her earliest piece, “Youth of Today” , Amy Macdonald reminded us that it’s been 11 years since the start of her dazzling career, one that has earned her the apt moniker “the Flower of Scotland”.

Entering the Scottish music scene at the tender age of 19, it was clear that she had far surpassed her peers musically thanks to her unequaled songwriting prowess and meticulously crafted melodies that have struck a chord with the crowd to this day . To celebrate the Scottie’s immense 11 years of contributing to the rich music history of Scotland, here’s a collection of her best works to date.

1. This Is The Life (from This Is The Life, 2010)

Being the breakout success that still got listeners tapping their feet and rocking their heads in watering holes everywhere to date, This Is The Life is an unexpected ode to mid-life crisis à la Fleetwood Mac that stood out from the banal pop songs rife with superficiality that inhibited the top 40 at the time. The joyous strumming guitar and Amy’s sing song gliding of her voice hides none of the wistful retrospection of the life she once had, which, ironically, is what makes it a good tune to craic in a pub over a pint of Glasgow beer and the likes.

2. Barrowland Ballroom (from This Is The Life, 2007)

Cracking, joyous and wickedly danceable are what this homage to the great venue all about. The tunes somehow married rock and roll and Celtic ballroom jaunty to extraordinary effect, with brass, jazz and all the pizzazz of being young and light on the feet. A perfect pick for the background of a bar brawl scene in some B movie, what with the slightly manic piano lines and the backbreaking pace. 

3. Spark (from A Curious Thing, 2010)

(Reportedly) a tribute to the long-departed James Bulger, Spark is one of the emotional heights of her critical-acclaimed sophomore effort ‘A Curious Thing’. The dream pop influenced tune is one of those that anyone could dedicate to a loved one, with its theme centred on hopes and dreams, love and the inevitable loss. Nostalgic, dreamy and hopeful, this song showcases to the fullest extent of what the songstress could do with an electric guitar, some synth lines and an artist’s perspective on life.

4. This Pretty Face (from A Curious Thing, 2010)

Amidst an industry filled to the brim with primped and pimped starlets, ‘This Pretty Face’ emerged as a much needed reality check for those at the top with nothing to their names apart from their fame and appearance. On the background of peppy piano and guitar riffs, Amy takes a dig at the cult of celebrities without ever getting dragged down in a bitter sounding, irritatingly finger-wagging, condescending attitude that only ends up irritating the ordinary peasant listener like me.

10/10 for the Scottish sass from the lass herself.

 5. Life in a Beautiful Light (from Life in a Beautiful Light, 2012)

Shedding much of the angst-ridden, bitter and the ever-present thrill of her past releases, Life in a Beautiful Life brought out a more refined aspect of her sound. The song was written from the perspective of a lass in her lover’s embrace, recollecting the moment she realized that love was in front of her eyes all along. A bit cheesy, perhaps, but it’d make a bonny Scottish TV series soundtrack, if it isn’t one already.

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Two decades of golden pop decadence (1999-2005)

Being one of the finest duo that Bristol has to offer, Goldfrapp has carved out a place for themselves in the history of contemporary music.

Waltzing into the scene in the early noughties with seemingly endless poise and grace, Goldfrapp has been aptly described as “what would have been if Kraftwerk was fronted by Marlene Dietrich”. Consisted of the trip-hop siren Alison Goldfrapp and producer/ composer/ synthmaster Will Gregory, they have conjured up a body of work so great it spans almost all genres of music imaginable and still manage to be ahead of the curve and cutting edge, even after 18 years of constant renovating and persisting in and out of the mainstream.

Felt Mountain (1999)

After years of being a session singer in the once bustling music scene of Bristol that entailed crooning over Tricky's fractured beatscapes, guesting on Orbital's 'Snivilisation' and hanging with Dreadzone, Alison Goldfrapp paired up with Will Gregory and more than made up for lost time with the brilliant, imagery-rich Felt Mountain. 

Alison sounds completely comfortable here, whether when she’s spelunking into her deep and richly dark lower range in “Human” and “Deer Stop” or scaling the impossible operatic heights in the Fascist - referencing “Utopia” and the sweet and dreamy “Pilots”. 

The spotlight lands on the more disturbing and sinister moments, however, which comprises of Alison’s electric theremin wails in the Frankenstein - inspired “Lovely Head” and her disturbing childlike humming in the wordless “Felt Mountain”, considering the sexual undertone that persists throughout the album. Utterly dreamlike and high drama, Felt Mountain is the epitome of trip-hop, a feast of soaring strings, harpsichords, ethereal theremin voice effect and a must-listen for whoever wants to lose themselves in the sonic wonderland of Goldfrapp.

Black Cherry (2003)

If Felt Mountain was the equivalent of a seemingly chaste, reserved, angelic chanteuse, then Goldfrapp’s sophomore effort is said chanteuse having a sexual awakening and falling straight down someone’s face. 

Black Cherry sees Goldfrapp exploring a completely different territory from their debut album - electropop - with a new imagery to match as visual is just as important to them as the music. Album covers, single covers and music videos all feature men and women with wolf heads loitering about, usually topless and with tongues lolling.

The new sound is just as primal and base as the imagery suggests: the singles “Train” and “Strict Machine” are thumping anthem that tell the tales of a girl who was left daft after a brain surgery and sexual pleasure experiments on rats, respectively. “Twist” is an absolutely merciless vocal tour-de-force, with Alison moaning and lusting after a carnival boy. Most of the album sounds like a latex gloved fist straight up the erogenous zone.

There are softer and more subdued moments, however. The opening “Crystalline Green” sounds like a choir of angels cooing over a backdrop of fizzling synths, the cosmic “Forever” beeping like it’s emulating radio emissions from space and the electro-orchestral “Black Cherry” which closes the album with a sense of sweet finality, all of which created a curious duality of this brilliant album.

Supernature (2005)

Goldfrapp continues to expand their horizon with their third release, Supernature - an obvious homage to Marc Bolan and the 70s disco and electroclash scene. 

Still their most well-known album to date, their sound in this era has been cited, blatantly copied and watered down by many fellow songstress like Little Boots, Lady Gaga, Kylie Minogue and most of all, Madonna. So much that people in the industry started snidely dubbing her “Oldfrapp” after the lukewarm, derivative “Confession On The Dance Floor”.

A less hormonal and lusty fare than the previous album, Supernature is jam packed with electroclash decadence. “Ooh La La” starts the banquet with nary a bit of restraint in confessing her lust for a lover. The edges from Black Cherry era were smoothed out, but the tune still sound strangely angular and ruthlessly efficient with its Germanic electro slaps and claps. Club anthems “Number One” and “Ride On A White Horse” see a continuation of Goldfrapp’s animalistic imageries, the former voracious but endearing while the latter sounds like a drug haze. 

The ever-present icy disdain in Alison’s voice gives way for a bit of warmth in the dreamy “Let It Take You” and their most luscious offering to date - “Time Out From The World”. This is a just one of the many testaments to the genius of Will and Alison’s boundless versatility.