Anthony Moore is best known for his work in the legendary art rock band Slapp Happy. His new record is billed to Anthony Moore with AKA & Friends, and it is a series of collaborations which reveal that Moore's still an intuitive player. On Beacon Hill provides charms which are utterly unique.
"Caught" opens things with a piece that's a cousin to what John Cale was doing as a solo artist in the Seventies, while the sublime "It's Fear" chills and hypnotizes in equal measure. It's a riveting track, and one which is given an elegant malevolence thanks to guitar from Haydn Ackerley. Elsewhere, "A Man of Custom" is centered around the piano and Moore's plaintive delivery. It's balladry of a sort, closer in spirit to Moore's past work than so much of what passes for alternative music these days.
I use the term chamber rock a lot here but this really is chamber rock. The precise placement of the instruments in each selection, and the deliberate pace of each piece make this as close to an orchestral approach to rock-and-roll as we're likely to hear in 2025. For those familiar with any of Anthony Moore's past work, this record should feel familiar, if not entirely in style, at least in approach and attitude. On Beacon Hill is highly recommended.
On Beacon Hill by Anthony Moore with AKA & Friends is out now via Drag City.
[Photo: Joe Ackerley]