Customer Reviews
Delightfully Sexy - By: Ronnie, 13 Apr 2008 
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... - By: New Gold Dreamer, 05 Jan 2008 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 & TV soundtracks) but not having heard the whole of their Felt Mountain album, it took a few outrageously (and totally justified) salivating reviewsin the press & fantastic first single "Train" to make me double-take. To put it mildly, this is one of the best electro-pop records ever made, & (now I realise) a huge departure from the duo's previous style; whereas Felt Mountain was all wintry, seductive, cosy, atmospheric, rural & movie-soundtrack-esque, Black Cherry is the sound of the summer, of the dance floor, of the glitter, the neon, & even more so than before, it's all drenchedin sticky, sexy lyrical flirtatiousness. Yet like its predecessor, it's also an album of broken hearts, mystery, lyrical obliqueness & the odd thoroughly bizarre touch. Alison Goldfrapp & Will Gregory's mastery of conjuring atmospheric, layered & 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 & 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 & again. The title track is even better, a truly, maddeningly heartbreaking thing of beauty that's as good as the first album's "Pilots", & that's saying an awful lot. With a swooning, blossoming chorus & 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 vocalsin 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, & on this albumin 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 & 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 & knicker lace" which instantly makes it a bit of a classic, & the tune, all grimy, saucy keyboards & 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 & an explosive, absolute thriller of a chorus that'll have you on your knees worshipping the majesty of the Frappin 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 drenchedin bittersweet atmospherics; I've noticed that a lot of Goldfrapp songs end really, really well; this onein particular's got an absolutely heartbreaking coda. Okay, so the dark "Slippage" is not really the killer closing track it should have been, & 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 & something to get hopelessly addicted to.
Yum - By: G. Munday, 11 Nov 2006 First came `Felt Mountain', dragging the feel of a sexy, downhearted 1930's lounge act into the modern age with clever instruments & classical orchestras. Now comes the second release that is a great follow-on, far more upbeat, far more electronic & even sexier.
One thing that keeps up the sultry standards is the unforgettable vocals from Alison Goldfrapp; they're still delicious & perfect, with an impressive range that boasts of a classically trained background & 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 & 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 & 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 & 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 & 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 & is led by lush melodies that many songwriters would kill for. `Felt Mountain' displayed a skill for the chilled out & the rich, `Black Cherry' sees the two-piece hit the studio with avidness, refreshed energy & clearly enjoying what they are doing. This is an inspirational album that is fresh, fashionable & icy cool.
Goldfrapp is ace!! - By: MeK_Karuso, 24 Jul 2006 
I first listened to this album with broken headphones, so the panning was all out of proportion - it sounded really cool like that!! But then I listened to it on a stereo & it sounded so much better! I love the wayin which Goldfrapp as a partenership utilise electronic sounds & use the synthesiser to create an out-of-this-world kind of atmosphere, along with the sexual & rather raunchy singing style of Alison herself.
I really like this CD because the lyrics are so simplein effect & so futuristic & really it does remind me of some odd Tim Burton-esque film with loads of add female lead characters pracing aroundin high heeled shoes & stripy tights & odd, but awesome clothing ...
Tracks from "Supernature!" their newest album are just as promising as these older ones. Buy this album if you like strange but wonderful music.
Mel.
What Sex Should Sound Like ... - By: G. Bowden, 07 Jun 2006 With "Black Cherry", Goldfrapp would take a critic-baiting chancein letting their work take them into another direction. Having already ensnared the indie-darling limelight with their half-million selling debut, "Felt Mountain", the pressure was on for Alison Goldfrapp & her trusted collaborator Will Gregory to come up with something that would continue to make the world swoon at Gregory's full-blooded orchestral arrangements & Goldfrapp's unsettlingly seductive vocals. And so, with true showmanship, Goldfrapp stumped their critics with an album completely polarisedin style & content from its predecessor, replacing "Mountain's" melodious eeriness with a techno stomp that wears its sexiness on its sleeve & makes no apologies. Aside from a few welcome lapses into the Goldfrapp we knew before, the sexuality that had threatened to eclipse "Mountain" had been well & truly set loose.
The musical influences behind this LP should be spoken about to hint at an idea as to how disparate "Black Cherry" is to its creators' first effort. "Mountain's" soundscapes were clearly secured within the realms of film score & influence, Gregory even thanking Sergio Leonein the notes of the CD sleeve. Meanwhile, "Cherry's" influence, aside from the Kraftwerk-style synths & programming that pepper the music so indelibly, is clearly rootedin the late 1970s-early 1980s pop era, "Crystalline Green" & "Strict Machine" (their irreplaceable breakout hit)in particular sounding like they've been trappedin a time capsule for twenty years. However, the industrial techno leanings, exemplified best by "Train" & "Tiptoe", exhibit a futuristic knowingness, often coming across as darker versions of Richard X-produced pop fluff by Rachel Stevens, Liberty X & all the other ones you cannot remember. Even the slower numbers herald a poppier sound for the dance duo, the programming more overt & less subtle than on Mountain & often almost unlistenable (hear "Slippage", or not), hitting the right balance between conventional pop & that old fad, electroclash.
Their calling card could be "the natural successors to the Eurythmics" if Goldfrapp & Gregory weren't so fiercely sexualin their content. One has to commend Goldfrapp for making the first convincingly sexy 21st century pop album but, as fans of the first album will know, Goldfrapp's world is one that revolves around everything to do with sex. More upfront & glamorous than most of today's "plop"-stars put together, Goldfrapp's lyrics & voice have not sounded so rapt with pleasure & awe before or since, from the orgasmic screams of "Twist" to the pained warbling of the title track. Alongside the mechanised rhythm sections & Goldfrapp's unconventional vocal gymnastics, Gregory duly supplies the arrangements that served his muse & him so well first time around, standouts including the closing moments of "Black Cherry" & "Tiptoe". It sounds a million times more authentic than anything Madonna or Aguilera have insultingly thrown at usin the name of raunch & is offset by the album's mellower tracks beautifully, "Hairy Trees" & "Black Cherry"in particular.
However, if there are any problems with "Cherry", they are the very factors which limited their debut CD. If the listener can buy into the glamorous vacuum that Goldfrapp have created, then there is much to enjoy. And though the arrangements are often nothing short of spellbinding, if you are left cold or affronted by the shallow emotions plundered on this CD (fabulous, yes, but ultimately shallow), chances are best that you will not become a convert. However, one cannot deny Goldfrapp's sheer pop excellence on this album precisely because they are not hiding behind über-pop producers or former pop-stars-turned-songwriters, but are showing the world how degrading, dangerous, sexy & sublime pop music can be. It's testament to their craftsmanship that, even after Girls Aloud & Rachel Stevens near enough ripped them off over a year later, "Black Cherry" still holds up as one of the best pop CDs of the new century, & most certainly the sexiest.
