OFFICIAL: http://chrismurphymusic.com/
VIDEO: (“Cape Horn”) http://chrismurphymusic.com/video/
Written
by William Elgin, posted by blog admin
Chris
Murphy has established himself as one of the pre-eminent instrumentalists in
American roots music and likewise solidified his position as one of the best
songwriters working today. His endlessly inventive and personal reworking of
traditional music for a modern audience and his role as an instructor has
likely steered countless individuals towards musical paths they might not have
otherwise explored. He recorded his latest release Hard Bargain for a live
audience and it proves to be a gripping listening experience. The recording
captures Murphy working solo and in full creative flight – he certainly draws
energy from the appreciative crowd and brings a first rate collection of songs
together for the performance/recording. It really is kind of a misnomer to
label Murphy as a performer in the Americana genre even if he uses traditional
instrumentation. His songwriting purview extends far past the relatively narrow
borders of roots music and there are some tracks on here that are outright
radio ready fare recorded with acoustic instruments.
The
violin “riff” driving the opening of the title song draws you in. It isn’t any
stretch to imagine this existing in another life as a hard hitting rock song
and Murphy plays it with some of that abandon – without ever losing the musical
substance, too that makes the track really fly. It’s hard to not like the
laconic sound of Murphy’s voice and how it can shift to an all out bray at a
moment’s notice. It isn’t a song that remakes the wheel, but Murphy definitely
brings enough of himself to the performance that it comes across as something
fresh, individual. “Ain’t No Place” takes a much more traditional approach to
the music and it strikes a notable contrast with the aforementioned title song.
Murphy relaxes here but hits all his marks and then some. “Bugs Salcido” finds
him turning away from violin and to mandolin instead, but the album doesn’t
lose a step. This is much more in the singer/songwriter vein than earlier
tracks and rates as one of the best lyrics on this release. There’s a narrative
here and, even through the uptempo verses, an attentive listener can piece
together the hard luck story behind the song or arrive at their own conclusions,
naturally.
“Holcombe
Creek” brings Murphy back to his violin and another strong songwriting
narrative. The terse violin during the verses is ideal for the lyrical mood and
the flourishes coming with each instrumental break possess much of Murphy’s
signature lyricism. “Last Bridge” is one of those aforementioned tunes that
transcend the Americana label and, instead, would find a lively home with any
good four or five piece rock band. The fundamentals are so strong here, but
Murphy’s added touch of talent and lyrical facility transforms it into
something even greater. The album’s finale “Friend” is a particularly affecting
tune and one that reveals the reams of personal experience and years of hearing
other’s stories that go into crafting meaningful and first class material. It’s
a deeply moving and thoughtful way to end Hard Bargain and we’re rewarded with
the same rich journey as ever by Chris Murphy’s latest release.
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