Chris Murphy - Hard Bargain (2017)

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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.