Goldfrapp fans may well find themselves scratching their heads when listening to A&E. There's no sign of the pumping electro-pop of Supernature, no lascivious crooning from Alison, and certainly no chance of her using a theremin as a sex toy this time round.
Instead, the band's forthcoming album Seventh Tree showcases a rather lovely pastoral folk-pop direction, and A&E is possibly its most commercial moment. It's a beautifully paced ballad, with a memorable hook of "I'm in a backless dress on a pastel morn" which buries its way into your head after just a couple of listens. Alison sounds rather Kate Bush here, or even Nelly Furtado before she went all Timbaland on us, and the references to Accident & Emergency drape a slightly mournful, world-weary air over proceedings.
And just to show they've not completely abandoned their more dance-orientated sound, there's even a remix by the hipper-than-thou Hercules & Love Affair. It's another fascinating development in the evolution of Goldfrapp - and likely to be their most successful moment to date.
