Reviews
June: 18 albums you need to hear this month
You've got a lot of listening to do
Alexis Taylor 'Piano' (Moshi Moshi)
There’s something almost voyeuristic about listening to this poignant album from Hot Chip frontman Alexis Taylor. It’s just him, a piano and a bunch of songs (some original, some standards), and they feel so raw that listening to them borders on the uncomfortable. Taylor’s sweet, fragile voice is centre stage: on a rendition of Elvis favourite ‘Crying In The Chapel’, you can hear him inhaling and exhaling; you can even make out the saliva crackle on his lips. There are overtones of King Creosote, the Scottish folk artist that Jon Hopkins collaborated with in 2011, in the confessional ‘Piano’. But despite its loveliness, a take on Hot Chip’s ‘Just For A Little While’ feels more like a demo to the sultry original.
8/10
