Three star

Like a child with a new toy at Christmas, Goldfrapp give the old synths something of a bashing at the start of their latest offering.

Thankfully the novelty wears off before too long, allowing the duo to rise above this intruding electro gadgetry and bash out some quite intoxicating ballads.

Although Will Gregory is in the background fiddling with the knobs, Goldfrapp is Alison Goldfrapp - a young lass whose haunting vocals made the band's debut album, Felt Mountain, such a hit.

But she often struggles to be heard above the electronics in this latest offering. And while Felt Mountain was sublime and dreamy, Black Cherry is positively dreary in parts, most notably the opening Crystaline Green and the final offering Slippage.

Luckily there are some gems sandwiched between the dreariness. Strict Machine is the pick of the bunch - a Bolanesque offering that shares more than a few bars with Disco classic - Feel Love.

Goldfrapp's stunning vocals rise above the noise in title track Black Cherry and the bizarre Hairy Trees while the thumping rhythm of Twist and Train - the first single to be taken from the album - are sure to be popular.

The toughest time for any band lies in the quality of the second album. Felt Mountain was always going to be a difficult act to follow but Goldfrapp have managed an acceptable follow-up ... just!

DL