Photograph courtesy of Brian DeRan
There’s a special intimacy to the lyrics of tracks such as ‘Am I Not A Soldier?’ on Hot Chip frontman Alexis Taylor’s new album, Await Barbarians. Throughout, there are moments of heartfelt emotion, honesty and playfulness, with Taylor playing and recording almost all of the instruments himself (a nod to Prince and Stevie Wonder, two of the artists featured in his Baker’s), presenting a more reflective side to his writing and singing. Following on from his first solo record, Rubbed Out from 2008, it draws from the same synth-driven energy as his main band, as well as tapping some of the diversity of his work with About Group, forging an album that’s equal parts folk and pop. The sum total is a deeply personal album wrought with great musicianship, full of songs about love and yearning, which grow more interesting with each listen.
Following the album’s release, and ahead of some more live dates scheduled for the rest of the summer, Taylor sat down with us to talk us through his favourite albums, their influence on his own musical output and to share a few stories connected with them.
Await Barbarians is out now via Domino Recordings; head to Hot Chip’s website for listings of Taylor’s upcoming tour dates. Click on his image below to begin scrolling through Alexis’ choices
