The Hot Chip frontman and vocalist steps out for his fourth solo-album following up on 2017’s Listen With Piano and Listen With(out) Piano. Produced by the DFA co-founder Tim Goldsworthy, Beautiful Thing is a collection of songs that draw on a range of influences but have that recurring melancholic theme running through them that fans of his 15 years of Hot Chip output will invariably connect with. The title track ‘Beautiful Thing’ is about as dancefloor as it gets on here, an
album where the beats and rhythms are more aligned with the weirder end of his previous form, so if you are expecting a collection of electro inspired club hits, you may move swiftly along. There’s no denying Taylor’s songwriting prowess and it really shines on this record, during the quieter downtempo tracks in particular; ‘There’s Nothing to Hide’ and ‘Deep Cut’ and it’s always a pleasure to enjoy the latest fruits of his labours, but it’s fair to say ‘Beautiful Thing’ is ‘one for the fans’ and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Where to start:
‘Beautiful Thing’ – first single taken from the album
‘Roll On Blank Tapes’ – a reflective song about nostalgia
‘Deep Cut’ – “don’t get caught up in what’s not real”
Previous from Alexis:
Alexis Taylor – Piano (Moshi Moshi)
Alexis Taylor – Await Barbarians (Domino)
If you like this then check out:
Daphni – Joli Mai
Joe Goddard – Electric Lines
Alexis Taylor’s Beautiful Thing is out now on Domino Recording Co.