Silver Eye
by Goldfrapp
  • Record Label: Mute US
  • Release Date: Mar 31, 2017
Metascore
74

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
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  1. Consequence
    Mar 27, 2017
    83
    The music on the record seamlessly ebbs and flows while not sounding repetitive, and Alison Goldfrapp remains one of pop’s most charismatic, if underrated, singers. In all, Silver Eye has a little bit of everything for fans of either the band’s uptempo electronic or reflective folk-ambient phases.
  2. Blurt Magazine
    Apr 17, 2017
    80
    Silver Eye is moving forward in that Goldfrapp did not resolve to focus solely on one style, they effortlessly melded several influences, leaving us with a fine album to introduce 2017.
  3. Record Collector
    Mar 31, 2017
    80
    If at times Silver Eye is easy to admire yet difficult to love, you are never that far from a tremendous hook or captivating vocal.
  5. DIY Magazine
    Mar 31, 2017
    80
    Will and Alison will probably shift gears again on their next album, but Silver Eye is likely to become a standout record in their ever-morphing canon.
  6. AllMusic
    Mar 30, 2017
    80
    At once balanced and eclectic, Silver Eye may be the first Goldfrapp album to represent all the sides of their music equally well--no small feat, considering how long they've been dancing to the beat of their own drum machine.
  7. musicOMH.com
    Mar 30, 2017
    80
    Silver Eye is undoubtedly a masterfully crafted, emotionally rich and enjoyable record.
  8. Uncut
    Mar 21, 2017
    80
    Bewitching. [May 2017, p.30]
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  9. Mojo
    Mar 21, 2017
    80
    Silver Eye shows mo loss of conviction, a dense, meditative collection that explores cosmic mysteries and natural wonders without any wispiness. [May 2017, p.92]
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  10. Under The Radar
    Mar 29, 2017
    75
    Silver Eye mesmerizes and dazzles with intricate and hypnotic electronic foundations adorned with waves of creative melodies and waiflike vocals that will melt your ears.
  11. Pitchfork
    Mar 30, 2017
    74
    If nothing here quite reaches knockout-blow strength, fine--it doesn’t really need to. Goldfrapp have found their platonic ideal, and that’s ideal indeed.
  12. Clash Music
    Apr 11, 2017
    70
    The album perhaps sags a little in towards the later stages--weighed down by the claustrophobic washes of sound. But as a whole, it compliments the rest of their back catalogue well.
  13. PopMatters
    Apr 7, 2017
    70
    Silver Eye comes close to being an absolute triumph, thanks in large part to the extraordinary sonic boom that the production packs. Unfortunately, it’s bogged down by a few weaker moments that prevent it from actually reaching that top-tier level of an album that might compete for one of the year’s best, but it’s close.
  14. Mixmag
    Mar 31, 2017
    70
    There’s nothing new here, but you know what? That’s more than fine.
  15. Spin
    Mar 30, 2017
    70
    The failure to evoke anything specific is what gives Silver Eye its aloof, Bond-theme posture, but in another light, it’s alienating.
  16. Exclaim
    Mar 29, 2017
    70
    Between appealing beats and this discomfiting tone, Silver Eye sits in a middle zone--and while it could give listeners some better-defined emotional content behind the android-y veneer, it's by no means borin
  17. The Telegraph (UK)
    Apr 19, 2017
    60
    Goldfrapp hark back to the bombast of a time when electronica was all about man (or woman) versus machine. On Silver Eye, the machines are ascendant.
  18. The Observer (UK)
    Apr 3, 2017
    60
    Silver Eye sags badly in the middle. Faux Suede Drifter and Zodiac Black , in particular, are all texture and no song, ambient washes of sound topped with uncharacteristically disengaging vocals. It all makes for a slightly underwhelming whole.
  19. The Guardian
    Mar 30, 2017
    60
    Its highlights will do for now--there’s great stuff here--but it’s hard not to compare it to the days when you never quite knew what a Goldfrapp album would contain, or to hope they opt for another dramatic stylistic shift in future: it’s better to embody the idea of transformation than to sing about it.
  20. Q Magazine
    Mar 21, 2017
    60
    Silver Eye's strength lies with its strong sense of mood rather than any truly memorable material. [May 2017, p.104]
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  21. Slant Magazine
    Mar 21, 2017
    60
    Despite collaborations with ambient-drone producer the Haxan Cloak and John Congleton (best known for his work with St. Vincent), musicians Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory have failed to materially push their sound in new direction.
  22. The A.V. Club
    Mar 31, 2017
    58
    Too much of Silver Eye keeps something back. But if “Zodiac Black” signals the next step in the evolution of Goldfrapp, maybe that reluctance will eventually prove to be worth it.

Awards & Rankings

84
#84 Most Discussed Album of 2017

User Reviews

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User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 52 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 39 out of 52
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 52
  3. Negative: 4 out of 52
  1. CharlieGray
    Mar 31, 2017
    10
    Definitely one of the best art pop records of 2017, Goldfrapp have made and awesome comeback, reinventing themselves once more, which isDefinitely one of the best art pop records of 2017, Goldfrapp have made and awesome comeback, reinventing themselves once more, which is impressive. A must listen.… Full Review »
  2. vargo001
    Apr 2, 2017
    5
    At the end of a band's career, when the quirky fun and the tuneful pathos have run out, one gets clompy, important sounding marches. I thinkAt the end of a band's career, when the quirky fun and the tuneful pathos have run out, one gets clompy, important sounding marches. I think back to Brill Bruisers from New Pornographers. Same thing. Big, clunky beats let you know, "This song was supposed to be important, but we ran out of tunes and lyrics." And still, beyond excited to see them soon in concert!… Full Review »
  3. GuillaumeHigg
    Apr 2, 2017
    9
    Most of the bad critics go this way; ''One album is electro, the other is accoustic, its predictable'' What?! Like those 2 words explainedMost of the bad critics go this way; ''One album is electro, the other is accoustic, its predictable'' What?! Like those 2 words explained anything by themselve for anyone who pays attention to carefully crafted sounds. Or; ''This one puts together everything they can do so its not new''... When i listen to Goldfrapp, i wanna get Goldfrapp; mission accomplished. People who just need things to be pure novelty must suffer from a restless boredom i do not envy. This album does bring together all they can do, but only the best of it. It most direct reference is Black Cherry with some of the natural mystique of 7th tree, but the songs are strong enough to be taken solely as themselve. The record is concise yet exploratory, confident but not indulgent, and the construction of the sound is, yes, Electro (duh) but if thats enough to explain what it means, might as well stop talking about music right here and now.… Full Review »
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