It is not at all uncommon for artists to undergo drastic changes from record to record (see: David Bowie); some choose to remain restless in their writing style for fear of getting stuck in a rut of mediocrity after one or two strong efforts in a singular genre. Change, apparently, is no stranger to the British duo Goldfrapp. After shocking their fans by following their orchestral rock debut with a tandem of synth-rock albums that made runs up the dance charts, the band has again shed its skin and taken on a new identity.

With the 2005 release of Supernature, Goldfrapp blasted into electro-pop royalty. The group seemed to have found their niche in crafting dance floor anthems. It’s only compulsory to think the duo who had become king and queen of dance would grace us with new dance floor gold — right?

After the first two tracks on the album, it’s quite obvious that Allison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory have moved on from their dancey past inclinations and into an ambient focus.

The album lacks the signature Goldfrapp synth riff behind a dance beat that forces your head to nod almost instinctively. It is replaced instead by soft vocals backed by acoustic guitars and violins and lacking any semblance of a beat. The sometimes mumbling, incoherent lyrics of Allison Goldfrapp, which were once masked by their music’s intricacies, come front and center when all of the energy and decadence is sucked from the music.

The band is no stranger however, to lush ballads. Supernature‘s “You Never Know” is a prime example of a slower track with electronic sensibilities. Unfortunately, Seventh Tree is seemingly filled with nothing but uncompelling attempts to replicate these past successes.

I’m sure the band would argue otherwise, but from the listener’s prospective, it certainly appears to be the case — the piano accented with hard synthesizer cuts of the past have been exchanged for slow, subtle ambience. The ambience is oftentimes so slow that it appears to be leading the listener down a dead end street of boredom.

Change is inevitable and should not be feared. That being said, change does not always result in a better end product, which is painfully obvious after only one listen to Seventh Tree.