Coldwave/Synth preorders

Review: The second solo release from Hampshire-born singer and producer Alison Goldfrapp - that's provided you don't count her seven Goldfrapp albums - finds her leaning deeper into synthetic shimmer, sharp hooks and a kind of gleaming melancholy that feels both new and oddly familiar. Co-produced with Richard X and Stefan Storm, it's a glossy, laser-cut suite of synth pop that takes cues from her Supernature-era magnetism but turns the focus inward. Where previous work leaned theatrical, this time around there's a crack in the mirrorisomething tender showing through. Lead single 'Find Xanadu' sets the tone with a serotonin-drenched strut, but it's not all mirrorball sparkle. Underneath the high-gloss production lies a kind of emotional tension, most clearly felt in the quieter, slower tracks that trade euphoria for unease. The songwriting is sharper, more vulnerable, even as the sonics remain pristine. It's a brand new release, arriving via her own A.G. Records imprint and one that makes clear she's not coasting on legacy. If anything, the distance from her old duo has sharpened the edges. Still seductive, still in full command, but with less artifice and more acheiproof that pop doesn't need reinvention to feel revelatory. Just honesty, timing and a well-placed synth arpeggio.