Alexis Taylor: Listen With(out) Piano (Moshi Moshi) Review

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Alexis Taylor

Listen With(out) Piano

Moshi Moshi

May 10, 2017 Alexis Taylor By Stephen Mayne

Alexis Taylor is best known as a member of Hot Chip, but the British musician has also released solo albums, and he’s now released the same solo album twice. In 2016, Taylor put out Piano, a series of quietly moving tracks that kept his deep, soulful themes while swapping out electronic beats for ivory keys.

Ever the tinkerer, he’s back with a new version of the same album, inviting a number of friends on board to redo each track. Contributors range from his cousin Betsy Taylor to Green Gartside from Scritti Politti and Jennifer Herrema of Royal Trux. The new version is not meant to be entirely standalone, serving more as a companion piece that can be listened to beside the original.

This robs Listen With(out) Piano of agency in its own right, leaving a series of experimental pieces that lose the deeper emotional connection Taylor forges on Piano. Nor does the music itself do enough to warrant release, operating in the same slowed down realm as its counterpart, only this time weaving in glitches, echoing electronic sounds, or string instruments depending on the collaborator. Taylor can’t be faulted for his ambition, but praise is only really due for the effort, rather than the end result. (www.alexistaylorsolo.com)

Author rating: 4/10

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Average reader rating: 3/10