A native of Essex in England, Alison Moyet found fame early in life when her group Yazzoo put together a string of hit singles in the early ‘80s, including the cracking dance track “Don’t Go” and the mournful ballad “Only You.” The Yazzoo sound was a fairly simple formula that consisted of the cold mechanical synth-pop courtesy of Vince Clarke (formerly of Depeche Mode) and Moyet’s blaring, soulful vocals. After the duo disbanded in 1983, Moyet immediately set out forging her solo career and hitting pay-dirt instantly with her sublime solo debut, 1984’s Alf.
After that initial success, though, it wasn’t all smooth sailing as Moyet fought for more creative control of her career and a better deal from her labels. There was a period of relative inactivity during the late ‘90s, and following a rebooting of her career in the early 2000’s, Moyet has been steadily releasing her albums with decent gaps in between each one. I have enjoyed most of them (The Turn from 2007 and Hometime from 2004 are standouts), and this year’s release, The Minutes, is another fine album from this wonderfully talented singer-songwriter.
Produced by new collaborator Guy Sigsworth, who also wrote the album with Moyet, The Minutes sounds freshly modern but also has that distinct sound that recalls Moyet’s glory days with Yazzoo. Her voice is deeper and more sensual that it has ever been, which she uses to great effect on the beautiful “Filigree.” Thatvoice just as quickly turns to thinly veiled anger on “Remind Yourself,” my new favorite breakup song (more subtle but just as direct as Madonna’s “Gang Bang” from last year).
There are also some killer dance tracks to be found here, like the electronic gem “Apple Kisses” and the more straightforward pop of “When I Was Your Girl.” “Changeling” is the most ambitious track on the album and Moyet handles it with ease, hitting her higher register with confidence to lift the song into the stratosphere. Even the moodier album tracks like “Horizon Flame” and “A Place To Stay” offer weight and emotion to the record that helps keep it from just sounding good; there is style but also a hefty dose of substance, too.
The most unique moment here is without a doubt the closer, which is also my favorite track on the album, the brilliant “Rung By The Tide.” The track builds beautifully from a slow-burning darkness to an orchestrated chaos that really brings together all of the elements that make this album as a whole so enjoyable.
The Minutes is without a doubt one of the best albums I have heard all year and it’s also a firm reminder that Alison Moyet is capable of matching it with the best of them.
