OFFICIAL:
http://chrismurphymusic.com/
Written
by Pamela Bellmore, posted by blog admin
Chris
Murphy’s latest studio release in a successful and critical acclaimed spate of
recordings is Water Under the Bridge which, in the scheme of things, is a much
more “traditional” minded album than some of Murphy’s most recent entries. This
release finds him dividing the fourteen song track listing between
instrumentals and lyrically driven numbers that manifest a number of sides to
his musical character. He’s a long-respected member of the Americana scene in
our national music, as well as an educator and respected producer. Murphy’s
rubbed elbows and worked alongside some of the genre’s most formidable
musicians and songwriters for a reason – he can withstand the proximity to
their stature. His latest studio album Water Under the Bridge reaffirms those
gifts and adds to his growing legacy.
He
has opened past releases with stirring instrumentals and continues the trend
with this latest studio offering. “Moveable Feast” is a spirited, melodic
delicacy that Murphy and his musical collaborators dispatch with an impressive
amount of energy. The second track and instrumental on the release, “Joan
Crawford Dances the Charleston”, has much of the same nuance that longtime
Murphy fans admire while still containing a bright enough shine to draw
newcomers in. He doesn’t indulge listeners with any lyrics until the album’s
first song, but Murphy and his partners have such musical and melodic talents,
vocal-less songs are just as pleasing as any words or singing. “Table for Two”
is an excellent introduction to his lyrical prowess on the release and the
album’s jazzy theme continues unabated.
The
slow, graceful winding of “I Swear I’m Going to Learn This Time” befits the
reflective nature of its title, but Murphy’s compositional sense and the
accompaniment he receives doesn’t drag it down into unnecessary moodiness. The
title “My Spanish Lover” accurately reflects the song’s contents and the spicy
energy is a welcome shift in gears while still burning the blue jazzy flame. “Benzedrine
Shuffle” is a carefully controlled, laid out tune without much of the wild
shriek you might expect from an instrumental so entitled. The shuffle aspect is
quite strong, but never overwrought. There’s an immense charisma coming off all
these tunes and even presumably darker numbers like this are reflective of the
personality that helps make Murphy’s music so special. “Tomcat Blues” is a real
growler that Murphy’s longtime fans will definitely appreciate and it’s enough
off the beaten path of most Murphy tunes that it stands out all the more. “Dog
Ear Blues” has a warm, immediate sound that grabs you from the first,
particularly thanks to its percussion, and ranks among the album’s best
blues-influenced numbers. Murphy closes the album with a final fine
instrumental, “Cheer Up Rickey”, that recalls his latest release with its
presentation of just Murphy’s violin and stomp box. The effect, however, is a
memorable final curtain for Chris Murphy’s latest studio platter.
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