A 'Head First' dive into '80s pop

If John Cusack's latest flick, "Hot Tub Time Machine," says anything about our culture, it's that despite our preoccupation with iPods, cell phones and Facebook, all anyone in 2010 really wants to do is put on some shoulder pads and hop back to the 1980s. Pop music is no exception - just think of the liberal sampling that propelled Flo Rida's "Right Round" to number one. These days, the '80s are more "in" than the '70s were in the '90s.

And, perhaps surprisingly, this rampant nostalgia hasn't been all that bad. Artists like Cut Copy and Princeton's own Hey Champ have learnt to tone down the camp and amp up the computer glitz, putting a decidedly modern spin on the classic pop sound. This is where electronic duo Goldfrapp's new album, "Head First," doesn't quite manage to fulfill its potential. Put simply, there's nothing here that hasn't been done a million times before.

Fortunately, the record is by no means a flop. The songwriting skills of production-meister Will Gregory and singer Alison Goldfrapp are far from lacking, and there's no return to the awkward "folksy" sound of the band's last album, "Seventh Tree." Instead, we're in full on '80s revival mode - even the front cover looks like a relic from a Cyndi Lauper photo shoot. The shiny opener, "Rocket," with its day-glo synthesizer hook and breathy vocals, reminds us just how fun the '80s were - back when songs relished in the simplicity of being bubbly and happy.

Still, the album works best when Goldfrapp isn't trying so hard to be the fifth member of the Bangles. "Hunt" is bold and contemplative, and brings to mind the slow, moody melodies of Bat For Lashes - a much more contemporary source of inspiration. "Shiny and Warm" is another standout, featuring stripped-down vocals underscored by a low electronic groove.

Most of the time, though, "Head First" sounds like a museum piece, and therein lies the problem. Goldfrapp and Gregory are so busy trying to recreate the sound of the past that they never really sound like they're having fun. The painstaking attention to detail only makes it harder to forget that these are two 21st-century musicians playing sonic dress-up. The melodies are fun and catchy, but roped to the jerky electronics and repetitive plotlines of '80s pop, they start to sound hopelessly kitsch. No, I'm not talking about the theme song to "Robot Unicorn Attack" (though a whole album's worth of that song would be an irresistible proposition), but a large portion of "Head First" does feel like wishful thinking.

It certainly doesn't help that the lyrics are so cheesy. The chorus to "I Wanna Life" is almost laughable: "I wanna life, I wanna be together / I wanna life, I wanna know." Yes, we all know that cheesy lyrics were a hallmark of the '80s, but that's also why we left them behind. In the end, Goldfrapp tries to define itself through too many musical antecedents, and the duo's own identity - as more than just sonic archaeologists - is obscured in the process. For some, this album might serve as a fun reminder of more sparkly days, but it lacks any reason to be remembered in its own right. As with every fashion statement, those teased out, hairsprayed roots are not a look that everyone can pull off.

3 Paws

Pros: Most of the songs are cheery and catchy and stay true to the '80s pop era.