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I'm a Goldfrapp fan so maybe I'm a little too biased in liking Head First.  Entertainment Weekly isn't that crazy about it...not to mention their little dig at Xanadu, which is to be expected given the movie seems to be either a love or hate it kind of deal. 'Course I love the soundtrack so even if they are right about this album I don't mind. :)

EW's GRADE

B

Details Release Date: Mar 23, 2010; Lead Performance: Goldfrapp

BELIEVER Goldfrapp

Having deserted the dozy comedown of 2008's muted Seventh Tree, U.K. duo Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory return to the dance floor with nine tracks of glitter-strewn glam pop. Head First sounds as if they've been commissioned 
to paint the inside of Olivia Newton-John's mind, circa 1980: all strobe-lit synths, feathery vocals, and goofy synonyms for sex. Only "Shiny and Warm," a dark-disco burner, recalls the sootier allure of their early stuff; otherwise, 
this is pure Xanadu camp. B

Spin magazine also makes a Xanadu connection:

Goldfrapp, 'Headfirst' (Mute)

Nightclub chameleon flaunts '80s shimmer.

By Lindsey Thomas 03.20.10 8:18 AM

Naural showperson that she is, Alison Goldfrapp has changed personas compulsively since her U.K. duo's 2000 debut, moving from arty cabaret balladeer to electro glamazon to the psychedelic wood nymph of 2008's Seventh Tree. But that foray into flutes and folk was brief: The title of Goldfrapp's fifth album might refer to their dive back into nightlife.

On Head First, the singer's bandmate-producer Will Gregory creates a pitch-perfect neon-lit '80s wonderland with Hi-NRG bass lines and plenty of that fat synth sound made famous by Van Halen's "Jump." The album's bright vision is established with the first three tracks, all awash in artificial ambience and an unearthly feel-good vibe. "Alive," in particular, wears its influences proudly, flaunting the shimmery squiggles that denoted muse-y magic in Xanadu. When Goldfrapp leave the roller disco, they find other retro gimmicks to play with, like the dated techno sound of "Dreaming" or the arena-rock breakdown in "I Wanna Life" (Step 1: Drop rhythm section. Step 2: Clap hands over head).

Goldfrapp also revive the vocal experimentation that has been their trademark twist on electronica. "Hunt," with its yelps woven into the background, recalls Imogen Heap, but the gorgeous minimalist closer "Voicething" -- built from carefully stacked layers of Alison's own breathy coo -- has no modern pop equivalent.




To be fair to EW, though, Goldfrapp's new single cover does have that ONJ/Xanadu look going on: