Head First

Goldfrapp have become one of those bands who change their sound on every album, but they helpfully provide textual clues in the cover art to let folks know what to expect. So where 2008's psych-folk-influenced Seventh Tree featured Alison Goldfrapp kitted out like a particularly glam Ren Faire maiden, Head First's slickly airbrushed sleeve shows the singer, superimposed over cotton-candy clouds, rocking a neon-pink jumpsuit and feathered bangs straight out of your local shopping mall circa 1984. And sure enough, these nine songs are breezy, low-impact synth pop in thrall to the glossy bubblegum side of MTV's dawn: echoes of early Madonna, the Human League, Cyndi Lauper, and a slew of near-forgotten one-hit wonders of the Kajagoogoo ilk are present and accounted for. Luckily, Goldfrapp and partner Will Gregory have rarely written songs as immediately catchy as "Rocket" and "I Wanna Life," and their affection for the style is clear, so Head First is every bit as blithe, fizzy and kicky as it was intended to be. Longtime fans with less-fond memories of the mid-'80s might cavil that Goldfrapp are jumping Little Boots and Lady Gaga's bandwagon, but it's more like Alison and Will are showing the kids how it's done.