Of all the talented women vocalists left to discover during the booming Synthpop movement of the 1980s, perhaps none is more captivating than Alison Moyet. Starting her career in music while still in her youth, starting her first band at sixteen, and joining up with Depeche Mode’s Vince Clarke in 1981 with Yaz (Yazoo) at twenty, Moyet is mostly defined by her unwavering artistic integrity. Sure, many adore the lone Yaz albums 1982’s Upstairs at Eric’s and 1983’s You and Me Both, but if anything, these records showed Moyet to be an exceptional, young songwriter destined to only grow. Doing just that, she put out her debut solo album Alf in 1984, and it was rich with great songs; including singles like “Love Resurrection” and “Invisible.” An album that is set to celebrate its fortieth anniversary on November 5, 2024, Moyet continues to look forward with her unique new album Key.
What is her tenth overall solo studio collection, and out on October 4th through Cooking Vinyl, Key is not just an album, but one that combines reimagined older tunes, along with a couple of new ones. An interesting concept, what you get is fresh takes on sixteen carefully selected songs from her back catalog; ranging from well-known tracks like “All Cried Out,” “Is This Love?” and the aforementioned “Love Resurrection,” to deeper album selections like 1991’s “My Right A.R.M.,” or 2007’s “Can’t Say It Like I Mean It.”
Now, you might be cynical and say how different can these re-records be than the originals to warrant an entire album dedicated to them? Well, truthfully quite different… because while most are recognizable to the ear of Moyet fans, each is otherwise unrecognizable. Exciting and interesting to hear, the songs have the foundation of the originals, but it seems as if Moyet took them, and stripped them down to the skeleton, redressing them with new texture and color. Each primarily driven by keyboards instrumentally, the vocals of Moyet are also unique in the way she emotes the melodies and places inflection in otherwise undiscovered corners.
Essentially, Key is a reconstructed collection of songs not meant to replace the original favorites, but merely offer a new perspective on an expansive mix of Moyet’s music. Whether it be that some of these songs were not fully realized to Moyet’s original vision or just opposite concepts that she stumbled upon over time, all are brought forth with new energy. Brought to life with outstanding production from Sean McGhee (a regular Moyet collaborator, and someone who has worked with others like Alanis Morissette, as well as Dido), it is not far-fetched to say you will become enthralled with Key as if you are hearing the songs for the very first time.
A massive 70-plus minutes of music, amidst it all are the two never-before-heard tracks – “The Impervious Me” and “Such Small Ale.” Sectioning them off with “Such Small Ale” at the start of Key, and “Impervious Me” more at the midway point, both offer something different than Moyet’s last new studio album, 2017’s Other. Now seven years removed from Other, “Such Small Ale” features some mesmerizing guitars and live drums, matched with a heartfelt vocal performance from Moyet. This is while “Impervious Me.” has a classic Synthpop ascetic, before building into something smooth and jazz-laden.
Overall, Key is an album that will delight long-time Alison Moyet fans with its intriguing attention to the past, but also piques their curiosity with the two new songs. With as much history as Moyet has in her corner, this is as much an anthology as it is completely new. Extraordinary and enjoyable to listen to, Cryptic Rock gives Key 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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