Alexis Taylor: Piano (Moshi Moshi) Review

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Alexis Taylor

Piano

Moshi Moshi

Jul 26, 2016 Web Exclusive By Dan Lucas

Given how wonderfully dense and complex his best-known work with Hot Chip is, it is always surprising how relatively straightforward Alexis Taylor’s work is when he goes it alone. Part of the pleasure of listening to his group is finding their hidden depths; it is therefore to Taylor’s credit that this, his third and most pared back solo offering, does not jar.

On Piano, as the title suggests, Taylor accompanies himself on, er, the piano alone. As such, the album plays to his greatest strength, his gorgeous falsetto. It compensates for the fact that the instrumentation is pretty enough, but quite rudimentary.

It is perhaps telling that the two best songs on here are covers: Crystal Gayle’s “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue” and the Elvis Presley hit “Crying in the Chapel” carry greater emotional depth than anything penned by Taylor himself, although “Repair Man” in particular is fragile enough to run them close.

Nevertheless, Taylor’s voice has never been as starkly exposed as it is here and it proves more than up to the scrutiny. Perhaps Hot Chip’s aforementioned hidden depths mean it has never received the recognition it deserves. This album should ensure that, belatedly, it will. (www.hotchip.co.uk)

Author rating: 6.5/10

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Average reader rating: 3/10