Day 389: Goldfrapp – Felt Mountain

Today, I wanted some sort of a cool, chill album to listen to in the shower, so I thought I’d utilise a feature I rarely use: I was looking at albums that fit the right mood on Apple Music and then scrolled down into the You Might Also Like-section. I came across a bit of Goldfrapp, who I’m only passingly aware of, so today I thought I’d listen to their debut, Felt Mountain.

Album cover courtesy of Mute

Goldfrapp was formed in 1999 by Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory. Alison Goldfrapp had graduated with an art degree and featured on songs with Tricky, Dreadzone and Orbital, when Will Gregory heard a song she’d recorded with Tricky for his album Maxinquaye. He was a composer who’d been recording and touring as a saxophonist for Tears for Fears and working as a session sax player when he heard her singing and got in touch with her. They decided to start a duo.

Felt Mountain was released in 2000 as the pair’s debut studio album. It didn’t chart very high, it only reached 57th place on the UK album chart, but it was critically acclaimed and shortlisted for a Mercury Price, as well as making it onto a few lists of best album of the year. It was written by Alison Goldfrapp, composed by Will Gregory and produced by them both.

I thought Goldfrapp was more of the dance-pop variety, so Felt Mountain was not what I expected at all. It’s a lot moodier and darker, it kind of sounds more like music a sexy lounge singer would make if they were going through a mental health crisis, along with one song of what sounds like menacing circus music peppered in. But it’s very good, it’s cinematic and atmospheric and just fun, in the same way as watching an exciting film noir or going somewhere that’s a little bit seedy but in a good way. I didn’t expect it to have as many layers as it did, but it’s a whole lot more interesting than I thought.

It’s sort of sexy, kind of weird and also somewhat Lynchian, so naturally it’s going into some sort of heavy rotation for me. I loved this a whole lot, Alison Goldfrapp’s vocals are gorgeous and the general strangeness of it is just mesmerising. I’m giving it a 9/10.