09 OCTOBER 2020: GOLDFRAPP – A&E

Though they’re renowned for their big synthpop numbers, this beautifully subdued track is my personal highlight from Goldfrapp’s discography.

‘A&E’ was released as the lead single from Goldfrapp’s ‘Seventh Tree’ album back in 2008. With the previous album containing many of their most successful and recognisable tracks including ‘Ooh La La’, they decided to take the follow-up project in a completely different direction and explore ambient, folk-influenced low-fi sounds. The lyrics of ‘A&E’ can be interpreted as a commentary on an overdose, maybe even a suicide attempt, with poignant lines like ‘feeling lonely, feeling blue / feeling like I needed you / and I’ve woken up surrounded by me / in A&E‘ leaving little to the imagination. The melody is a real stunner, surprisingly bright in contrast to the lyrics, and the instrumentation and production really communicates the confusion and out-of-body nature of the whole experience.