Alexis Taylor, Rubbed Out

Considering the success surrounding Hot Chip over the past few years, with 'The Warning' (2006) and more recently with 2008's 'Made in the Dark', it may come as a surprise that front-man Alexis Taylor's debut solo effort, 'Rubbed Out' has received next to no publicity or promotion. Despite my initial confusion at such a low profile release, the reasons for this approach soon become clear. In fact, 'Rubbed Out' could be described as an opportunity for expression and experimentation, as opposed to a conventional album.

In stark contrast to the expectations of many, given the polished electro-pop in recent Hot Chip singles such as `Ready For the Floor', 'Rubbed Out' offers a lo-fi collection of instrumentals and simplistic pop songs. This may not be to everyone's taste, particularly for those expecting, what would essentially be a fourth Hot Chip album. However, I would argue that 'Rubbed Out' highlights Taylor's remarkable deftness of touch in producing beautiful, yet simplistic pop melodies. Examples of this can be found in `Baby' and `Collectors Item', both of which are based upon highly infectious, `Beatle-esque' choruses and a conventional live band setup, in favour of keys and synths.

Other highlights include a heavily stripped down rendition of Paul McCartney's `Coming Up' and `I Thought This Was Ours', a touchingly fragile ballad, demonstrating Taylor's subtle, yet beautifully controlled vocal delivery. `I'm Not a Robber' is possibly the closest that Taylor comes to entering Hot Chip territory due to its deviation from guitars and bass towards more familiar electronic groundings.

While these tracks make for an endearing and unique collection of songs, it is the somewhat more experimental moments that create such a varied and arguably hit and miss record. For instance, tracks such as `Fireworks', `Musical Food' and `Ruffles' convey a lack of focus or conventional structure. On occasion this can lead to a sense of bewilderment as to why they were even included, leaving the impression that they are only of purpose to Taylor himself. However, bearing in mind the intimate, homemade nature of 'Rubbed Out', this may prove to be an appealing element to some fans as it adds to the feeling of listening to a private recording. Although I would consider this to be an album of somewhat mixed results, there is certainly enough raw quality on show to make 'Rubbed Out' an essential album for both, fans of minimalist pop and dedicated Hot Chip followers alike.