Frou Frou, the British electronic duo composed of the angelic Imogen Heap and the genius Guy Sigsworth, will take you on a meditative, calming and poetic journey with Details. It is a must have.

Frou Frou

Imogen Heap is a Grammy Award winning British singer and songwriter. She is well known for her solo work and made an impact with Frou Frou, which has been disbanded. Guy Sigsworth is a producer, songwriter and musician. Together with Imogen he created the magnificent sound of their first and only Frou Frou album, Details.

This album gained major success from the film ‘Garden State’ which played the track Let Go as the closing song; while the film ‘The Holiday’ also featured the same song. The song is beautiful, the lyrics touching and the electronic sound creates a pulse throughout; making it and the album come to life.

Details

‘Let go, jump in, well what you waiting for? It’s alright cause there’s beauty in the breakdown.’

These are the words that flow from the ethereal Imogen Heap as she gently sings the chorus of ‘Let Go.’ ‘Beauty in the breakdown’ is a theme that resounds throughout the album, which speaks of love, loss, pain, heartache and, finally, self realisation.

It is not a typical self-indulgent album. There is something haunting about Heap’s voice, the electronic beats sound like a pulsating heartbeat and there is true beauty in her breakdown.

A Narrative

‘These cucumber eyes are lying the more that I smile about it, and all of my clothes feel like somebody’s old throwaways… I’m happy you’re in love, it really does suit you… how is it happening without me?’

The third song on the album, It’s good to be in love, is about watching the person you have given your heart to find love with another. The lyrics combined with Imogen’s voice create a sense of art – poetry put to music. As the album plays the songs melt into one another, creating a narrative that speaks to the audience.

We go on a journey with them while letting ourselves go on our own journey too. Every song will speak to someone. From love lost in the song ‘It’s good to be in love’ to the harsh ‘Psychobabble’, which is a dialogue telling someone that you are not in love with them with the cutting words, ‘You misunderstood no meaning, I never gave out these signs…do what I tell you and no one will get hurt. Don’t come any closer.’

Emotion

‘How do I do normal’ (from the song Hear me out), ‘Lung of love leaves me breathless’, (from the song Flicks), ‘Lover alone without love’, (from the song The dumbing down of love) are poetic lyrics; emotions put to paper, put to music and put to art.

The raw emotion in every song on this album strikes a chord with even the hardest of people. The honest lyrics are raw, cutting to the heart of anyone who has been in love, is in love, has never been in love, or someone who craves love.

It may not be the most optimistic album out there, but it may just be one of a handful of genuinely honest albums… along the likes of Fiona Apple and Regina Spektor. Frou Frou is less angry then Regina and less sullen then Fiona Apple, the perfect combination for anyone longing to feel.

There is Beauty in the Breakdown

The lyrics in the final song, ‘The Dumbing Down of Love’, sum up everything that the album is about and the emotion that Imogen throws into the words when singing are poignant and perfectly tender: ‘Music is worthless unless it can make a complete stranger breakdown and cry.’