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Exclusive First Listen: Moby, 'Wait For Me'

Moby has just made his best record in 10 years — at least I think so. The new record by the DJ, singer, bassist, keyboardist, guitarist and all-around renaissance man, Wait for Me, is filled with beauty, sadness and celebration.

An album made in Moby's home studio, Wait for Me is the work of a musician who could find a much better-equipped studio. The disc feels like something I'm witnessing as a listener; like something that's unfolding. Most records are made with listeners in mind, but Wait for Me makes me feel more like a voyeur peering into Moby's emotions.

I recently read an article in which Moby describes a speech he heard by David Lynch. The essence was this: Be creative, and don't worry about how your work fits into the marketplace. Lynch went on to make a video for one of the songs on Wait for Me — it's called "Shot in the Back of the Head."

So take a First Listen to the record. Where does it fall for you as a Moby album? Did you love it the first time out, or will it take time to grow on you — or maybe both? Maybe it didn't do anything for you. Please weigh in; the discussions on these First Listens are my favorite part.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

In 1988, a determined Bob Boilen started showing up on NPR's doorstep every day, looking for a way to contribute his skills in music and broadcasting to the network. His persistence paid off, and within a few weeks he was hired, on a temporary basis, to work for All Things Considered. Less than a year later, Boilen was directing the show and continued to do so for the next 18 years.