Alison Goldfrapp – ‘Flux’ album review: Incredibly safe pop music in an already oversaturated market
Alison Goldfrapp’s new album, Flux, begins a new chapter, as it’s her first release on her new record label, AG Records, and as an independent artist. Such a milestone seems to have been tiptoed rather than run across, though, as the new album feels somewhat reserved.
The album found its initial form in 2024, when Goldfrapp wrote the track ‘Sound & Light’, an ode to the northern lights, which she has chased her entire life but never seen. After writing the song, the aurora borealis appeared that same night, as if Goldfrapp herself had summoned them. It’s a heartwarming story, and one that could well be true; however, it’s more likely the phenomenon revealed itself in an attempt to ask Goldfrapp to turn the music down.
That was overly harsh. Chalk it up to a writer incapable of passing up the opportunity to tell a joke. The truth is, this won’t be viewed as a bad album by a lot of people, but unfortunately, it is by me. The synth-heavy pop and whispered pained vocals come together to make a sound that immediately gets my back up, and in the case of Flux, it feels like the record notably lacks any real level of excitement or character.
The instrumentation doesn’t feel interesting, the vocals sound pulled back, and the freedom that Goldfrapp is granted by releasing music as an independent doesn’t come across as realised. This is incredibly safe pop music, the kind of thing that would make for the perfect backdrop for an advert about getting your dream car or going on a great holiday. In the modern world, when pop artists are persistently experimenting with what they can get away with throughout the genre, this record comes across as an incredibly safe offering in an already oversaturated market.
The meanings behind the songs are interesting, as you have the heartwarming northern lights story, plus songs that talk about distant lovers losing touch and the feelings of emptiness that can come with such an experience. The issue is that while some of the stories behind songs are interesting, that interest doesn’t resonate in the record’s execution.
The synth sounds used and the drums that accompany them feel like placeholders, providing a tempo for the vocals. They don’t come across as the final product but rather as a rough draft.
There are a couple of exceptions, though. The robotic nature of ‘Reverberotic’ certainly peaks the ears, and the heavy, thumping bass on ‘Play It (Shine Like A Nova Star)’ makes for an epic experience for headphone users.
Still, these highlights are few and far between.
Defining track: ‘Play It (Shine Like A Nova Star)’ – Heavy, pounding bass floods speakers and headphones during this standout number—a real shining star on the record.
For fans of: The kind of music they would play in nightclubs on reality shows.
A concluding comment from a lover of disco: “This reviewer has no fucking clue what he’s talking about.”
Release date: August 15th, 2025 | Producer: Alison Goldfrapp, Stefan Storm and Richard X | Label: AG Records
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