Alexis Taylor – ‘Await Barbarians’ Review

Alexis Taylor – ‘Await Barbarians’ Review

It’s been almost six years since Alexis Taylor dropped his debut album ‘Rubbed Out’.

‘Await Barbarians’ continues in the same down-tempo style heard on ‘Rubbed Out’. Except it’s even more simple and personal. If you’ve ever wondered who’s behind the upbeat synth sounds of Hot Chip, you may find some answer in his new album. ‘Closer To The Elderly’ is particularly personal and straightforward. “The older I get, the closer I feel to the elderly”, he sings over a thumping spiraling synth loop.

The first words Taylor sings on the album are strangely familiar: “Last night I had the strangest dream”. Could this be a not-so-subtle reference to the famous anti-war song? The second to last song ‘Am I Not A Soldier?’ seems to suggest an underlying theme of war. The late Pete Seefer most notably covered ‘Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream’ and elsewhere on the album Taylor also mentions Whitney Houston.

So, yes, ‘Await Barbarians’ (even the title sounds frighteningly dark) is steeped in feelings of grief ad uncertainty. But rather than wallow in it, Taylor seems to embrace and accept it, and ‘Await Barbarians’ certainly has a cathartic feel for the Hot Chip front man. Musically, it is possibly the most minimalist thing he’s ever done. There are synths, obviously, some strings here and there a gliding guitar, but most prominent is the piano, which is the number one instrument all along. One particular highlight is ‘Dolly and Porter’ and its crackling vinyl sound. It’s a warm and soft love song, that moves toward Jazz.

One of the most interesting tracks on the record comes at the very end. ‘Am I Not A Soldier?’ features the same gliding guitar heard on the first song, but halfway through the hopping synth melody is added to the mix and it is delightful. “My name means defender, but I am no soldier”, he sings in what is one of the catchiest tunes of the whole record. ‘Without A Crutch (1)’ reprises ‘Without A Crutch (2)’ and effectively brings the album to a close in a nice circular way. Where ‘Rubbed Out’ was criticised for its confusing last third, ‘Await Barbarians’ is a much more focused effort that is consistently strong throughout.

Brice Detruche

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