Product Description

Second album by unique and slightly sinister indie-dance duo, following 2000's 'Felt Mountain'. Eerily hypnotic and occasionally menacing, their sound combines folk, jazz, 60s pop, Weimar cabaret and trip-hop and tops off the eclectic mix with Alison Goldfrapp's otherwordly vocals. Includes the single 'Train'.

Track Listing

1. Crystalline green
2. Train
3. Black cherry
4. Tiptoe
5. Deep honey
6. Hairy trees
7. Twist
8. Strict machine
9. Forever
10. Slippage

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2134 in Music
• Released on: 2003-04-28
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced

Amazon.co.uk Review
Goldfrapp's Black Cherry inhabits a dark alley, bristling with urban menace and throbbing with a deep electronic pulse--a far cry from their breezy debut, which gently led the listener to a fairytale aural utopia occupied by Parisian pop, whistling divas and baroque masters.

Having given up the countryside for a neon-lit studio, Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory have infused Black Cherry with an intensity and brooding claustrophobia that's both exuberant and sensual. Simultaneously mellifluous and mechanical, tracks such as "Train" with its fiery industrial rhythm steer Goldfrapp dangerously close to the ailing electro-clash scene, before veering back to more familiar territory with the likes of the sultry, downbeat "Black Cherry" and languid dreamy ambience of "Forever". Elsewhere our Hampshire-bred heroine gets deep down and dirty on "Twist", an ode to oral that finds Goldfrapp waxing lyrical to a fierce driving Kraftewerk-esq synth: "Before you go and leave this town/I want to see you one more time/ put your dirty angel face/ between my legs and make it last. No Felt Mountain to get lost in, but at least there's "Hairy Trees" to make up for it. --Christopher Barrett

Customer Reviews

Delightfully Sexy
1. Crystalline Green. 10/10
2. Train. 10/10
3. Black Cherry. 10/10
4. Tiptoe. 8/10
5. Deep Honey. 7/10
6. Hairy Trees. 8/10
7. Twist. 10/10
8. Strict Machine. 11/10
9. Forever. 9/10
10. Slippage. 8/10

OVERALL GRADE: 10/10

This album is undeniably sexy, but Goldfrapp wouldn't be Goldfrapp without some duff songs.

One of the sexiest, most heavenly pop rushes ever...

Best tracks: "Strict Machine", "Black Cherry", "Tiptoe", "Forever".

It's difficult for me to convey just how fantastic Black Cherry sounded when I first heard it; being mildly aware of Goldfrapp (thanks to "Lovely Head"'s ubiquity on advertisements and TV soundtracks) but not having heard the whole of their Felt Mountain album, it took a few outrageously (and totally justified) salivating reviews in the press and fantastic first single "Train" to make me double-take. To put it mildly, this is one of the best electro-pop records ever made, and (now I realise) a huge departure from the duo's previous style; whereas Felt Mountain was all wintry, seductive, cosy, atmospheric, rural and movie-soundtrack-esque, Black Cherry is the sound of the summer, of the dance floor, of the glitter, the neon, and even more so than before, it's all drenched in sticky, sexy lyrical flirtatiousness. Yet like its predecessor, it's also an album of broken hearts, mystery, lyrical obliqueness and the odd thoroughly bizarre touch. Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory's mastery of conjuring atmospheric, layered and enveloping soundscapes has sharpened here to perfection, with the former's astonishing voice making for one of the most inviting, seductive musical propositions you're ever likely to hear.

Opening song "Crystalline Green" makes for a fine, dreamy opener, but it's "Train" that sends the album into supernova; a dirty, sexy keyboard refrain, glorious, lovely vocals and a stomping, vaguely glam-rock beat...it's simultaneously throwaway yet lasting, trashy yet crammed with the kind of detail that keeps you coming back again and again. The title track is even better, a truly, maddeningly heartbreaking thing of beauty that's as good as the first album's "Pilots", and that's saying an awful lot. With a swooning, blossoming chorus and some painfully lovely musical passages that'll have you swept away, "Black Cherry" is probably my favourite ever Goldfrapp song....or is it? There's something just as good later on the album...

Anyway, next track "Tiptoe" is stupendously fine, even better than "Train" in terms of delivering a stomping, filthy electronic beat; the fact that Alison has often referred to her admiration of Prince is given musical credence here, as her vocals in the verses have been treated to almost sound androgynous, which is similar to what he was doing around the time of his Sign O' the Times album when he was crediting his altered vocals under the name of "Camille". The song itself builds to a terrific, hypnotic, almost insanely fine finale; again, great singing! Seriously, Alison's got one of the most luscious, fantastic voices ever, and on this album in particular, she's a lead singer to fall for. The very sexy "Deep Honey" has a sparse, sad synthesiser line to begin with, later embellished with some eerie strings (reminiscent of the duo's earlier work) that make it the perfect bridge between this album and its predecessor. This song's also got a spectacular ending, with Alison sighing over dramatic, deep, down, dirty orchestration.

The lovely "Hairy Trees" is another song that `s slightly Felt Mountain-ish, but given the new Black Cherry treatment, it's a gem. A pair of glam-fuelled electro peaches arrive next; "Twist" has the terrific line "Put your dirty angel face between my legs and knicker lace" which instantly makes it a bit of a classic, and the tune, all grimy, saucy keyboards and wild, orgasmic singing, is a thrilling, sexy pop-blast from start to finish.....rivalling "Black Cherry" for the title of the best song on the album is the all-out masterpiece that "Strict Machine", which despite being re-released as a single, still never became the huge, huge hit it should have been; this is definitely Goldfrapp's most successful integration of their new, electronic direction; every second of this one's an absolute dream, the kind of synthesisers that make your hair stand up on end, an insanely funky, catchy rhythm and an explosive, absolute thriller of a chorus that'll have you on your knees worshipping the majesty of the Frapp in no time. By the time the song's all over after that gorgeous finale, I'm left breathless.

"Forever" is a divinely sad, melancholic thing of beauty, a little like "Deep Honey", but further drenched in bittersweet atmospherics; I've noticed that a lot of Goldfrapp songs end really, really well; this one in particular's got an absolutely heartbreaking coda. Okay, so the dark "Slippage" is not really the killer closing track it should have been, and despite some good moments is clearly the weakest thing here, but it doesn't stop Black Cherry from being one of the greatest pop rushes of all time; it's sexy, mysterious, strange, beautiful and something to get hopelessly addicted to.

Yum
First came `Felt Mountain', dragging the feel of a sexy, downhearted 1930's lounge act into the modern age with clever instruments and classical orchestras. Now comes the second release that is a great follow-on, far more upbeat, far more electronic and even sexier.

One thing that keeps up the sultry standards is the unforgettable vocals from Alison Goldfrapp; they're still delicious and perfect, with an impressive range that boasts of a classically trained background and should be a commodity that all women wish for. If a voice could make you orgasm, it's hers. Lyrics are sometimes obscure, but approachable and contagious. But as if it needed an underline, such downright fuckable songs like `Twist' beg you to: "put your dirty angel face between my legs and knicker lace".

Almost all tracks include a stomping, lo-fi beat, with strange pipping/ booming/ fizzing sounds, but the emotions conveyed cover a wider spectrum than hinted. The hip BAM-BAM-BAM beat of `Train' is quickly followed by the lush and calm title track. Later on, the bopping, anthem-esque attack of `Strict Machine' is subdued by the tones of `Forever' - a recurrent roller coaster that underlies the whole album.

Meanwhile, real back-to-basics synth sounds make most songs strong candidates for a wave of very 80's and extremely ill advised Robot Dancing to surge through dance floors nationwide. Though, as musicians, they seem more comfortable with this heavier slant, as it comes across as stuff that will be far easier to transfer into a live performance.

It has everything that warped electro fans strive to make and is led by lush melodies that many songwriters would kill for. `Felt Mountain' displayed a skill for the chilled out and the rich, `Black Cherry' sees the two-piece hit the studio with avidness, refreshed energy and clearly enjoying what they are doing. This is an inspirational album that is fresh, fashionable and icy cool.