"Flux" : Alison Goldfrapp is back

While there was a six-year gap between Goldfrapps final album Silver Eye in 2017 and Alison Goldfrapp's solo debut The Love Invention, the singer now appears to be making up for lost time.
The club-friendly mood of that first album made perfect sense for a remix set via The Love Reinvention, not least because its title was so obvious.
Now Alison is back with Richard X, this time making the whole album with him and - at X's recommendation - Swedish producer Stefan Storm, of dreampop duo The Sound Of Arrows.
The more chilled mood of Flux isn't quite as dramatic a contrast with Goldfrapp generally switching between wigged-out futurism and eerie spook-folk on alternate albums.
There are a handful of new bangers, especially the insistent Find Xanadu and the demented headrush of Reverberotic, which would bounce perfectly among Supernature's assorted manias.

Of the calmer moments, UltraSky is a standout for its perfect mix of downtempo grooves recalling Everything But The Girl and Alison's vocals at their dreamiest, her usual sci-fi atmosphere this time taking listeners to less imposing, more relaxed worlds. Of course, given how she influenced Dua Lipa, there's an irony that Alison sounds like she's been cribbing, as Cinnamon Light's sleek polish is straight off Radical Optimism.

There's a fine line between imperiously gliding along without a care and pop autopilot, and occasionally Alison doesn't find a hook memorable enough to carry the slick mood.
Flux tails off somewhat, with Ordinary Day's sub-William Orbit ambience sounding like a Ray Of Light knock-off.
Worse, the wordless chittering of Magma is just strangely bland. Whisper it, but it could be by Ellie Goulding as it ambles about, looking for a personality.

This is the first release on Alison's own A.G. label, and an external force might have suggested instead ending Flux on the hypnotic Play It (Shine Like Nova A Star) or the whomping pulse of Sound & Light.
There's a beatific glow to Alison Goldfrapp here. Mostly, it suits her.