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The Hum and the Beat

Going against grain of music business, Goldfrapp’s ‘The Singles’ successful

This piece represents the opinion of the author:

Sam Fichtner

Columnist

February 17, 2012

It's been a busy week for music. We lost a legend, there was an allegedly important award ceremony Sunday evening, and Usher and Diplo got together. But what most caught my attention this week was the well-received release of Goldfrapp's compilation record "The Singles." Who knew that a relatively new band like this one was so deserving of a greatest hits album?

My first listen to this album revealed that Goldfrapp is quite technically and musically accomplished, not to mention wonderfully enjoyable.

Formed in 1999, the electronic music duo combines the vocals of Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory on synthesizer. Goldfrapp's voice is bursting with libido but does so in a consistently graceful and elegant manner. Gregory's synths add a cinematic touch with a rich collection of instruments and arrangements to accompany the sexy frontwoman.

This is clearly a duo that went through late adolescence and college in the '80s, as their music feels inescapably 'glam', despite its polished, radio-friendly feel and electronic leanings. Songs like "Rocket" or "Number 1" could have easily been heavier Madonna cuts. Their most successful single to date, "Ooh La La", shows off clear rock sensibilities, quoting the famous lead guitar riff of "Spirit in the Sky". Their disco-inspired "Ride a White Horse" feels straight out of a club from the early 2000s with lusty vocals and powerful production.

Goldfrapp has undeservedly eluded popular attention unlike the many other prominent female-driven electronic acts today.

Goldfrapp's music always feels as sonically expansive as that of Lady Gaga, yet it never feels stretched musically nor is it artsy for the sake of being artsy. Their song structures are more developed than those of acts like Robyn, with production far more complex than any Katy Perry record. As a guy-girl duo, The Knife comparisons might be warranted, but unlike the Swedish electronic twosome, Goldfrapp never sacrifices accessibility for complexity.

I found that listening to the compilation without having prior knowledge of Goldfrapp's music made for a liberating experience. I was able to forgo that feeling of "They forgot to include my favorite song!" and can say that, to virgin ears like mine, this record feels magnificently complete. It's hard to imagine anyone truly disliking this intelligently-composed compilation given how the tracks are arranged fluidly, not chronologically. But the question still remains: Is Goldfrapp really deserving of a greatest hits record? I mean, they've only been around since 1999.

Greatest hits compilations have always seemed to me like something reserved for our past masters. For example, in our lifetime, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, and The Rolling Stones have released 39 compilations collectively. But now, as college students that have been on this earth for two decades, we're reaching an age where bands that rose to prominence during our lifetime are receiving retrospective acknowledgement. We got one of our first experiences with this a few years back when Radiohead was granted a 'Best Of' release—deservedly so—but it was a novel feeling for our generation nonetheless.

That being said, the music industry's ever-increasing money-first mentality may affect its willingness to grant newcomers compilation treatment. Greatest hits offer a collection of the best, so you can hear the "Immigrant Song" next to "Stairway" without rummaging through the experimental "Zeppelin III" (no offense to "III" fans). But the problem with the music industry today is that people are a lot less accepting of popular bands having throwaway albums, no matter how much we love comeback records. Producers with money in their eyes are a lot less willing to finance a band's expensive experiments.

It's pretty bold to release several records, each with only two or three memorable songs surrounded by otherwise lackluster material, and still expect to eventually achieve compilation status. As a musician you either have to be a devoted artist and make conceptual, interesting and thematically-driven pieces (see any Animal Collective or Arcade Fire album), or producers expect five to six singles with accompanying music videos for every release you have. And if you are smart, you learn how to space these singles out over a long span of time so you can reap more profits—Katy Perry was nominated for a Grammy for Female Pop Vocal Performance for two consecutive years for songs on the same album.

But there is a reason Perry lost both of those awards to the likes of Beyonce and Gaga; it's the same reason she likely won't receive a compilation album anytime soon. Knowing how to make money off records and knowing how to make good records are two completely different things.

Lucky for us, Goldfrapp has mastered both, and embracing the "The Singles"-first approach in particular makes the concept of Goldfrapp's recent release more understandable. "The Singles" outwardly celebrates the popular approach of the decade, showing the modern-day low-attention listener how to pack as much punch as you can into a single. Goldfrapp has risen to prominence with their luscious collection of standalone tracks, and deserve this compilation for having done so.

This week's five hum and beats:

Goldfrapp—"Ooh La La"

Whitney Houston—"I Will Always Love You"

Whitney Houston—"I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)"

The Ronettes—"Be My Baby"

The Velvet Underground—"White Light/White Heat"

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