Key

A double album released in honor of the 40th anniversary of her solo debut (1984s Alf), Key finds Alison Moyet revisiting songs from across her career in new re-recordings made with her longtime producer/arranger, Sean McGhee. Rather than focusing on her biggest hits, fan favorites, or necessarily chronological representation (although theres something here from every non-covers solo album except its predecessor, 2017s Other), songs were selected for their potential to take on new relevance or meaning. It includes 18 tracks in all: 16 "reimagined" songs and two original ones. Of the originals, "Such Small Ale" and "The Impervious Me," the latter is the more compelling, with its merger of spongy, 80s-type synth tones and piano underscoring lyrics about shallow societal standards and values, internal versus external fitness, and the importance of recognizing ones own worth. (It opens with the discerning lines "You may ask the mirror, Show me perfect hair/That the room in time might welcome you.") Among the remakes, though, unpredictability and nuance reign, as its far from a hit parade but doesnt shun the Top of the Pops, either. Present are versions of U.K. Top Ten singles like "Love Resurrection" and "All Cried Out" (both from Alf) and "Is This Love?" (from 1987s Raindancing), for instance. Absent are several others, like the number two-charting "That Ole Devil Called Love" and "Invisible," Moyets biggest U.S. hit. Those that are included tend to adopt a darker, more reflective sound and tone without any true transformations. The update of "Love Resurrection," for example, employs a deep, throbbing synth bass and a more post-punk-oriented palette in general, although its catchy, dance-oriented sensibility and yearning vocal delivery remain -- though one might note that theyre a bit more yearning in 2024. That encapsulates the bulk of the revisions, now told from the perspective of someone who is older and wiser, has been hurt more, has witnessed worse, and who knows that we need each other to get through it. At least one of these themes is apparent in tracks like the defiant "All Cried Out"; a cautionary, synthy redo of the originally acoustic "Fire" (from 2007s The Turn); a more Twin Peaks-like spin on tender ballad "World Without End" (also from The Turn); and a more anguished performance of "This House" (from 1991s Hoodoo). Perhaps the most surprising find here is the one song not from a Moyet LP: a solo version of "My Best Day," from her featured spot on the 1994 Lightning Seeds song (Moyet did co-write the song with Ian Broudie). In the end, while Key seems worthwhile as an exploration of how songs can grow and change over time, just like people, its unlikely any of the songs are transformed enough to warrant a fan exodus from the originals. On top of that, the selections mix of popular and lesser-known make it a lackluster hits collection. What may win over some listeners, however, is its knowing, somewhat ominous tone and its function as a songwriting showcase. ~ Marcy Donelson